Spartina pectinata Aureomarginata

Spartina pectinata 'Aureomarginata' is a cultivar of  Spartina pectinate that is particularly decorative with foliage striped with golden yellow throughout. It is a tall grass adapted to coastal conditions and marshy soils, but can also be grown in drier areas. Its trailing rootstock is very useful for stabilising banks and soils. Its trailing habit and bright foliage also make it an elegant plant.   

The variegated spartina belongs to the Poaceae family (formerly grasses). The wild, green species is native to North America where it grows in coastal areas, marshy soils, and wet meadows. It is a very hardy and adaptable plant. 'Aureomarginata' is a beautiful variegated form with a spreading, rhizome rootstock.  It will ultimately reach about 1.50 m (5ft) high and theoretically occupy an infinite ground surface. The vegetation is deciduous, emerging in spring and drying up in autumn. The young spring leaves are beautifully tinged with pink. This spartina forms beautiful clumps of long trailing leaves, striped with yellow along their length. The insignificant flowers appear in late summer, August to September, in branching inflorescences that bloom into brown cylindrical spikes.  

Spartina pectinata 'Aureomarginata' grows in any garden soil that does not dry out too much in summer, including salty soils. Despite its preference for wet soils, this plant can also endure moderate periods of summer drought. The dried leaves and inflorescences add interest to a pond margin in winter. It is ornamental and bright on the banks of a natural pond or a large body of water and also useful to stabilise the soil around water features. It can be planted with Cote de Nacre Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea), riparian sedge (Carex Riparia), and other wetland bank plants.