Swamp Sawgrass

Cladium mariscus

native · Hill Country

Swamp Sawgrass is a grass native to the Texas Hill Country that grows 8–10 ft tall and 5 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and medium water. Blooms green in spring, summer and fall. Evergreen — it holds its leaves through winter. Good for aquatic wildlife, birds, moths and small mammals.

Wet ground only. A wetland plant: it needs standing water or saturated soil — a pond edge, creek bank or rain garden, not a dry upland bed.

Will it grow in your yard?

Enter your ZIP. The finder checks Swamp Sawgrass against your microclimate, then ranks it against your sun, your watering and deer pressure.

The facts

4 sources

Type: Grass
Sun: Full sun to part shade (4–8 hrs of direct sun)
Water: Medium
Height: 8–10 ft
Spread: 5 ft
Bloom: Spring, Summer, Fall · green
Foliage: Evergreen
Soil: Recorded on limestone, moist, saline
Wildlife: Supports aquatic wildlife, birds, browsing mammals, moths and small mammals

Where it grows

Recorded in these EPA Level IV ecoregions in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:

Balcones CanyonlandsEdwards Plateau Woodland

49 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

Also grows here — hard to find. Native and recorded growing in Central Texas, but not on the grower stock lists we read. Sourcing varies: some are stocked widely, others you will have to hunt for.