Wild Harris

Marram Grass    (Photo: Laurie Campbell)

One of the toughest plants to be found on the shore is the marram grass. It grows on the sand dunes and it is important for protecting the sand dune. Without it the sand would just blow away.

The stem is very rigid and it has long roots to support the stem and to find water in the very dry sand dunes. The leaves are tough and are rolled around the stem, so that they don’t lose any precious water.

If the marram grass gets covered in sand, the stem just grows longer so that the marram grass sticks up through the sand again.

Marram Grass    (Photo: Laurie Campbell)

by Alison Tyler