Plants, seaweed & algae of Ocean City & Assateague

Field-guide profiles for dune grasses, salt-marsh cordgrass, coastal forest shrubs, seagrass meadows, and seaweed around Ocean City, Maryland, including Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague Island State Park on beaches, marshes, trails, and bay shallows. Each card opens ID tips, seasons, and local viewing spots.

Where to see wildlife Assateague Island Nature Guide overview Hiking trails

12 starter species curated for visitors—not every Delmarva coastal plant. Likelihood stars rate how often a typical visitor might notice the species around OC / Assateague MD (1 rare · 5 common). Stay on trails and boardwalks in dunes and marshes; do not harvest in protected seashore areas.

Showing 12 of 12 species

American Beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) — Ocean City, Maryland American Beachgrass Ammophila breviligulata · Dune plant · ★★★★★ The backbone of Ocean City and Assateague dunes. Tall, tough grass that traps sand and holds the barrier island together. Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca) — Ocean City, Maryland Sea Lettuce Ulva lactuca · Seaweed / algae · ★★★★★ Bright green sheet algae of bays and beaches. Common summer wrack on Assateague and in Isle of Wight Bay shallows. Smooth Cordgrass (Sporobolus alterniflorus) — Ocean City, Maryland Smooth Cordgrass Sporobolus alterniflorus · Salt marsh plant · ★★★★★ The defining grass of Maryland’s coastal marshes. Tall green bands along bay edges from West Ocean City to Assateague. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) — Ocean City, Maryland Eelgrass Zostera marina · Seagrass · ★★★★☆ Underwater meadow grass of Maryland’s coastal bays. Nursery for blue crabs and scallops, visible at extreme low tide near Assateague. Glasswort (Salicornia) — Ocean City, Maryland Glasswort Salicornia · Salt marsh plant · ★★★★☆ Jointed, pickle-green succulent of high marsh flats. Salicornia species turn red in fall on Assateague edges. Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) — Ocean City, Maryland Loblolly Pine Pinus taeda · Coastal forest · ★★★★☆ Tall Southern pine of Delmarva’s coastal plain. Needle canopy and resinous bark behind the dunes on the way to Assateague. Marsh Elder (Iva frutescens) — Ocean City, Maryland Marsh Elder Iva frutescens · Salt marsh plant · ★★★★☆ Shrubby high-marsh sentinel of Assateague. Gray-green leaves and late-summer pollen that triggers hay fever for some visitors. Northern Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica) — Ocean City, Maryland Northern Bayberry Morella pensylvanica · Coastal forest · ★★★★☆ Hardier bayberry cousin of the Mid-Atlantic coast. Aromatic shrub with waxy berries on Assateague and mainland Delmarva. Rockweed (Fucus vesiculosus) — Ocean City, Maryland Rockweed Fucus vesiculosus · Seaweed / algae · ★★★★☆ Bladder-tipped brown seaweed of jetties and rocky structure. Ocean City Inlet groins at low tide, not typical open sandy beach. Sea Rocket (Cakile edentula) — Ocean City, Maryland Sea Rocket Cakile edentula · Dune plant · ★★★★☆ Low, succulent dune pioneer of the wrack line, with purple flowers and paddle-shaped seed pods on Assateague and OC beaches. Southern Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera) — Ocean City, Maryland Southern Wax Myrtle Morella cerifera · Coastal forest · ★★★★☆ Evergreen coastal shrub with fragrant leaves and waxy gray berries. Classic “bayberry” of Assateague trails and dunes. Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima) — Ocean City, Maryland Dusty Miller Jacobaea maritima · Dune plant · ★★★☆☆ Silvery-gray foliage often planted in OC dune landscaping, sometimes naturalized on barrier-island sand.

Beach Blog on Plants

Trip reads written for this hub—pacing and advice, not a second directory.

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