Phyllospadix scouleri - Surf Grass

Family:	Zosteraceae
Habit:	Perennial
Synonyms:
Range:	Western N. America - Alaska to California.

Phyllospadix scouleri (Surf Grass) is a Perennial. It has a hardness rating of 0.
The flowers from this plant are dioecious (each plant is either male or female, thus both genders need to be present to seed) and they are pollinated by

Soil Information

Surf Grass will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Surf Grass prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Surf Grass should not be planted in shady areas.

Intertidal and sub-tidal levels on the Pacific coast[60].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Is a pond plant
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it is hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. The main problem with this plant is that it is likely to require maritime conditions and possibly also periodic inundation in salt water, so it might not be possible to cultivate the plant under normal garden conditions.

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Root - raw or cooked. Eaten in spring[61, 105, 118]. The entire plant, including the long salty-tasting leaves, were formed into square cakes and dried as a winter food by some native North American Indian tribes[256]. The leaves were occasionally cooked and eaten by some native North American Indian tribes[257].

• Leaves -
• Root - includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 0/5
None known

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe if this is possible in a greenhouse and perhaps adding some salt to the soil. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest.
Hitchcock. C. L.
Author: Hitchcock. C. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.
Date of Publication : 1955

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