This document summarizes the vegetation zones of Florida salt marshes. Salt marshes occur in intertidal zones along coastlines with low wave energy. Vegetation zones are determined by elevation and tidal flooding, ranging from the Spartina alterniflora zone at lowest elevations flooded daily, to a transitional shrub zone and upland forest. Within each zone, plant diversity and species composition is determined by salinity and soil conditions. Common plant species are described for each zone, from smooth cordgrass and black needlerush at lower elevations, to glassworts, saltgrass and sea lavender in salt flats, and bluestems, goldenrods and shrubs at higher elevations.

1. SALT
MARSH
VEGETATION
Florida Master Naturalist Program
COSTAL SYSTEMS OF FLORIDA
PROJECT BY
Noreen Corle Engstrom

2. Salt marshes occur:
• along the coast in the intertidal zone (between low and high
tide)
• in low wave energy areas (on the leeward shoreline of barrier
islands or behind protective beaches).

3. Topography:
• Basically consists of a gently inclined plane.
• The elevation gradient from the lowest zone of the
marsh (Spartina alterniflora) through the transitional
shrub zone at the upland edge may be less than 1 meter.
• Tidal creeks may modify this basic plan by
creating levees and low berms.

4. Florida Salt Marshes:
• Gulf Coast salt marshes form a nearly continuous band of
vegetation for 140 miles (225 km) from the Ochlockonee River in
Wakulla County to Tarpon Springs in Pinellas County.
• South of Tarpon Springs salt marshes are less frequent; their
potential habitats are more commonly mangrove swamps.
• Atlantic Coast salt marshes experience greater tide amplitude
than Gulf Coast salt marshes.

5. Salt marsh vegetation composition is determined by:
• hydrology and
• salinity

8. Few vascular plants can tolerate salinity.
• The result is a tendency for salt marsh vegetation to occur
in monospecific zones at lower elevations rather than in
intermixed plant communities.
• Plant diversity increases with increased elevation above
high tide.

9. Vegetation Zones:
1. Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass)
2. Juncus roemerianus (black needlerush)
3. Salt flats
4. High marsh
5. Transitional Shrub
6. Upland Forest
Spartina and Juncus zones are commonly monotypic.

10. Helianthus debilis
Gaillardia pulchellus
Baccharis angustifolia
Myrica cerifera
Juniperus virginiana var. silicicola
Spartina bakeri
Distichlis spicata
Paspalum vaginatum
Sporobolus virginicus
Batis maritima
Sesuvium
portulacastrum
Spartina alterniflora
Spartina patens
Salicornia/Sarcocornia spp.
Typical planting cross section plan by elevation
(refer to plant categories on subsequent slides)
MHW= +0.55ft NAVD88
MSL= -0.64ft NAVD88
MLW= -1.88ft NAVD88
Borrichia frutescens
Existing site
elevation=
+4.5ft NAVD88
Max. N/S trail
elevation=
+3.5ft NAVD88
Muhlenbergia capillarisHamelia patens
Asclepias spp.
Conocarpus erectus
Forestiera segregata
Coccoloba uvifera
Trypsacum dactyloides
(Category A)(Category B)
(Category C)
(Category D)
(Category E)
New marsh surface=
+0.3ft NAVD88
Marine Discovery Center Planting Guide for Salt Marsh Restoration
Used with permission.

11. Vegetation of the Spartina alterniflora Zone
• Plants in this zone are typically flooded twice daily
or nearly so by high tide.
• Soils in this zone tend to be medium or fine
textured containing organic matter.

12. Spartina alterniflora
Smooth Cordgrass

13. Vegetation of the Juncus roemerianus Zone
• Plants in this zone are flooded irregularly by tides.
• Soils of Juncus marshes frequently consist of loam or
loamy sand.

14. Juncus roemerianus
Black Needlerush

15. Spartina and Juncus Vegetation Zones
Juncus roemerianus (foreground and middle ground)
Spartina alterniflora (light green band between the Juncus zones)
at a slightly lower elevation.

16. Vegetation of the Salt Flats
• Elevated areas within the Spartina and Juncus zones
which are subject to evaporation and thus higher salinity
levels.
• Plants in this zone are inundated infrequently , usually
less than once a month.
• Soil is sandy and typically supports sparse growths of
low growing succulents and grasses.

17. Batis maritima
Saltwort

18. Borrichia frutescens
Bushy Seaside Oxeye

19. Distichlis spicata
Saltgrass

20. Salicornia bigelovii
Annual Glasswort

21. Sarcocornia ambigua
Perennial Glasswort

22. Sesuvium portulacastrum
Shoreline Seapurslane

23. Other common plants in the salt flat zone:
•Aster tenuifolius (perennial saltmarsh aster)
• Limonium carolinianum (sea lavender)
• Monanthochloe littoralis (keygrass)

24. Vegetation of the High Marsh Zone
• Generally less frequently inundated by tides
than salt flats and barrens.
• Freshwater surface runoff from the adjacent
uplands increases soil moisture and reduces
soil salinity.
• Vegetation in the high marsh zone includes
species found growing on salt flats.

25. Andropogon glomeratus
Bushy Bluestem

26. Eustachys petraea
Pinewoods Finger Grass

27. Muhlenbergia capillaris
Hairawn Muhly Grass

28. Panicum virgatum
Switchgrass

29. Pluchea odorata
Sweetscent

30. Sabatia stellaris
Rose of Plymouth

31. Solidago sempervirens
Seaside Goldenrod

32. Spartina bakeri
Sand Cordgrass

33. Sporobolus virginicus
Seashore Dropseed

34. Other common plants in the high marsh zone:
• Agalinis maritima (Saltmarsh False Foxglove)
• Eleocharis cellulose (Gulf Coast Sprikerush)
• Elionuris tripsacoides (Pan-american balsamscale)
• Fimbristylis cymosa (Hurricane Grass)
• Fimbristylis spadicea (Marsh Fimbry)
• Paspalum vaginatum (Seashore Paspalum)
• Scirpus schoenoplectus (Saltmarsh Bulrush)
• Spartina patens (Marshhay Cordgrass)
• Spartina spartinae (Gulf Cordgrass)

35. Vegetation of the Transitional Shrub Zone
• Low growing woody plants at the edge of the upland
forest.
• Must be able to withstand hurricane force winds and
aerosolized salt.

36. Baccharia glomeruliflora
Silverling

37. Baccharis halimifolia
Groundsel or Sea Myrtle

38. Coccoloba uvifera
Sea Grape

39. Conocarpus erectus
Buttonwood

40. Hamelia patens
Firebush

41. Gaillardia pulchellus
Firewheel

42. Helianthus debilis
Dune Sunflower

43. Ilex vomitoria
Yaupon Holly

44. Lycium carolinianum
Christmasberry

45. Forestiera segregata
Florida Privet

46. Myrica cerifera
Southern Bayberry

47. Other common plants of the shrub zone:
• Baccharis augustifolia (Saltwater False Willow)

48. Vegetation of the Upland Forest Zone
• can tolerate aerosolized salt and
• withstand hurricane force winds

49. Upland Forest adjacent to a salt marsh
is commonly:
• pine-palmetto flatwoods,
• cabbage palm thicket or
• hydric hammock dominated by live oak.

50. Juniperus virginiana
Eastern Red Cedar

51. Pinus elliottii
Slash Pine

52. Palmetto repens
Saw Palmetto

53. Sable palmetto
Cabbage Palm

54. Quercus virginiana
Live Oak

55. Acknowledgements
Coultas, Charles and Yuch-Ping Hsieh, eds. 1997. Ecology and Management of Tidal
Marshes, St. Lucie Press, Delray Beach, FL.
Seabrook, Charles. 2012. The World of the Salt Marsh, University of Georgia Press,
Athens, GA.
Taylor, Walter Kingsley. 2013. Florida Wildflowers, University Press of Florida, Gainsville,
FL.
Witherington, Blair and Dawn Witherington. 2007. Florida’s Living Beaches, Pineapple
Press, Inc., Sarasota, FL.
Wunderlin, Richard P. and Bruce F. Hansen. 2011. Guide to Vascular Plants of Florida,
University Press of Florida, Gainsville, FL.
All photographs taken in the field by Noreen Corle Engstrom