View Te Ara in

Story: Coastal shoreline

Marram grass (3rd of 3)

Marram grass

Marram grass has been extensively planted around the coast and now is the dominant cover of most dunes. It is a vigorous tussock-forming grass which is very effective in trapping sand.

Its fine network of roots can extend 2 metres or so down into the sand where water is available for growth.

About this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Melanie Lovell-Smith

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

How to cite this page:

Maggy Wassilieff. 'Coastal shoreline', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 24-Sep-11
URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/coastal-shoreline/5/2/3