NRCS Plant Materials Center
a Proving Ground in Struggle for Coast

A HARD RAIN IS FALLING and the red-tinged stems of smooth cordgrass are deeply bent under the weight of the downpour.

A researcher dressed in rubber boots and slicker stoops to inspect the base of the ‘Vermilion’ strain of cordgrass, and then moves on toward the main complex of the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Plant Materials Center (PMC) in Galliano, Louisiana.

Of the 26 plant materials centers in the nation, this is the only one that concentrates on developing plants to use in the struggle to save Louisiana’s coastal wetlands. According to manager Gary Fine, the center is a living laboratory in which Louisiana’s native plants are rigorously evaluated for characteristics important for wetlands restoration. “We need to understand how a plant strain will react to conditions like salinity levels, land elevations and tidal flows. We can’t invest years in plantings only to discover that a strain is susceptible to drought or disease,” says Fine.

Scientists at the NRCS Plant Materials Center test strains of native species that are particularly adaptive to changing conditions in the wetlands. Only after careful, thorough testing is a superior strain identified and released as a proven performer.
Natural Resources Conservation Service

Opened in 1989, the PMC sits on a 90-acre plot of land consisting of ponds, research plots, greenhouses and a laboratory. Its most visible contributions to the science of coastal wetlands plants are six plant releases — ‘Vermilion’ smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), Brazoria seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum), Pelican black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), Fourchon bitter panicum (Panicum amarum), Caminada seaoats (Uniola paniculata), and ‘Gulf Coast’ marshhay cordgrass (Spartina patens). These strains have proven effective in limiting soil erosion, reducing the conversion of marsh to open water, and promoting the re-establishment of emergent vegetation.

Furnishing the seeds, propagules and foundation plant material that private nurseries use to raise these strains, the PMC is also providing a readily available supply of plant materials for restoration efforts. This is important in preventing indiscriminate, large-scale harvest of plants from already vulnerable coastal habitats.

PMC’s ‘Vermilion’ is often planted in areas accessible only by boat.
Natural Resources Conservation Service

Another key role of the NRCS Plant Materials Center program is developing plant technology. “Right now we’re experimenting with numerous techniques for propagating, producing, managing and establishing a variety of plants for application in diverse coastal habitats,” says Fine.“The PMC is devising methodologies to increase the success of planting for coastal restoration.”

PMC’s Releases Offer Benefits to Diverse Coastal Conditions

‘Vermilion’ smooth cordgrass
(Spartina alterniflora)
The stiff, high-density stems of smooth cordgrass buffer waves and collect sediment. The species thrives in areas frequently inundated, such as shorelines and barrier islands.

Brazoria seashore paspalum
(Paspalum vaginatum)
Seashore paspalum spreads rapidly in wet, slightly salty soil, preventing sediment loss by covering land quickly. It’s also a “pioneer species,” creating conditions for other plants to colonize readily.

Pelican black mangrove
(Avicennia germinans)
The Pelican black mangrove stabilizes soil with its extensive root system and reduces wind and wave action in shoreline areas. The evergreen shrub also provides habitat for the brown pelican and other birds.

Fourchon bitter panicum
(Panicum amarum)
In sandy environments, bitter panicum provides vertical structure, blocking wind to trap and keep sand in place. The sand stimulates root production as it covers the plant’s stems.

Caminada seaoats
(Uniola paniculata)
Tolerant of salt spray, winddriven sand accretion, and storm surges, seaoats help stabilize coastal beach dunes and barrier islands. This perennial grass reproduces primarily through rhizomes.

‘Gulf Coast’ marshhay cordgrass
(Spartina patens)
In marshes, along coastal beaches, and on barrier islands, marshhay cordgrass comprises one-fourth of the vegetation in Louisiana’s coastal wetlands where it builds soil by contributing biomass.