Sea oats, Uniola paniculata, do much more than give photographers and beach goers something to admire while capturing seascapes on our beautiful Florida beaches.
Florida beaches have a symbol, it’s the sea oat.
Sea oats are a important coastal barrier because their long root structure holds loose sand and vegetating dune structure they support. They assist in our area’s hurricane defense strategy from the sea.
Sand, salt, heat makes sea oats our coast’s best ambassadors.
Sea oats are a perennial grass commonly found in the upper sand dunes along beach fronts. They are slow to mature, blooming in mid summer producing a large seed head, or panicle, to ensure future growth.
Salt spray coats Sea Oat leaves and stems. Waves and sand sometimes cover the entire plant.
Sea oats are protected from picking, disturbing, or merely walking through them, which can be punishable by fine.
Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air – Ralph Waldo Emerson
