Sawgrass is a plant that grows in brackish (slightly salty) and freshwater marshes . Sawgrass also grows in ditches, riverbanks, shorelines, swamps , and other wetland areas. It is particularly known for growing across the Everglades , a vast wetland area in southern Florida sometimes called the “River of Grass.” Sawgrass is found across more than two-thirds of the Everglades.
Sawgrass is not a true grass . It is a type of sedge , a large family of grasslike plants that grow in wet places throughout the world. Sawgrass grows in tropical and temperate climates. It is found in the Caribbean Islands, Central America, northern South America, and the United States along the Gulf of Mexico and up the Atlantic coast as far as Virginia. Sawgrass grows in dense patches and thrives in environments where nutrients are scarce.
Sawgrass grows up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) in height. It has green, serrated (sawlike) leaves that are narrow and flat. The saw “teeth” lie along the edges of the leaves and are sharp enough to cut bare skin. The leaves grow from 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 centimeters) long, and are about a 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) wide. Sawgrass grows 2 to 6 tiny green flowers on small spikes called spikelets. These flowers have small bristles, but no petals. Sawgrass bears its seeds in tiny fruits called nutlets. Many birds and reptiles shelter among sawgrass or eat its seeds. Alligators nest among sawgrass.
