Eelgrass: The Underwater Wonder You Can’t Grow in Your Garden (But Should Still Know About)
If you’ve stumbled across the name eelgrass while researching native plants for your garden, you might be in for a bit of a surprise. Despite its grassy name, Zostera—commonly known as eelgrass—isn’t something you can plant in your backyard flower bed. This fascinating native plant lives an entirely aquatic life in saltwater environments, making it one of nature’s most important underwater gardeners.
What Exactly Is Eelgrass?
Eelgrass is a perennial marine plant that grows completely submerged in shallow coastal waters. Think of it as the ocean’s version of your lawn grass, but instead of covering your yard, it creates vast underwater meadows along coastlines. With its long, ribbon-like leaves that sway gracefully in the currents, eelgrass forms some of the most productive ecosystems on our planet.
As a forb—a vascular plant without woody tissue—eelgrass might seem delicate, but it’s actually incredibly hardy and well-adapted to life in saltwater. Unlike the plants in your garden that get their nutrients from soil, eelgrass absorbs everything it needs directly from seawater through its leaves.
Where Does Eelgrass Call Home?
Eelgrass is truly a North American native, with an impressive range that spans from coast to coast. You’ll find it thriving in the coastal waters of states and provinces including British Columbia, Alaska, Manitoba, New Brunswick, California, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Connecticut, Quebec, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, and even in the waters around Labrador and Newfoundland.
Why Can’t I Grow Eelgrass in My Garden?
Here’s where we need to set expectations: eelgrass requires very specific conditions that no terrestrial garden can provide. It needs:
- Saltwater environment
- Shallow coastal waters (typically 3-10 feet deep)
- Sandy or muddy substrates
- Tidal movements and ocean currents
- Specific water temperature and salinity levels
Unless you have a massive saltwater aquarium system and extensive marine biology expertise, eelgrass simply isn’t a viable option for home cultivation. It’s a specialized marine plant that belongs in its natural ocean habitat.
So Why Should Gardeners Care About Eelgrass?
Even though you can’t grow eelgrass in your garden, understanding its importance helps us appreciate the broader native plant community. Eelgrass beds are considered some of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth, providing critical habitat for fish, birds, and marine invertebrates. They also help prevent coastal erosion and improve water quality—functions that mirror what native plants do in terrestrial environments.
Native Alternatives for Your Actual Garden
If you’re drawn to the idea of grass-like native plants that provide ecological benefits, consider these terrestrial alternatives that you can actually grow:
- Native sedges (Carex species) for wet areas
- Buffalo grass for drought-tolerant lawns
- Little bluestem for prairie-style plantings
- Native rushes (Juncus species) for rain gardens
These plants can give you that flowing, grass-like aesthetic while supporting local wildlife and requiring minimal maintenance once established.
The Bottom Line
While eelgrass might not be destined for your garden beds, it serves as a reminder of the incredible diversity of native plants across different ecosystems. As gardeners, we can appreciate eelgrass for its vital role in coastal environments while focusing our planting efforts on terrestrial natives that will thrive in our yards and support our local ecosystems.
Sometimes the most important native plants are the ones we can’t grow ourselves—but we can still celebrate and protect them by making thoughtful choices about the plants we can cultivate in our own spaces.
