Use the BACK button of your browser to return to this page. Even though you do not see any beach, the plant life in front of you IS part of THIS seashore's story. During the years of trying to rid this area of mosquitoes, some of the natural grasses were destroyed. Thick shrubs started to change the salinity of the salt marsh and this encouraged the growth of the cattails you see to the north. These aquatic perennials are found mainly in fresh water marshes.
Cattails form dense stands and provide favorable habitat for red-winged blackbirds.
The rootstock is mostly starch, edible and was ground into meal by Native Americans and early settlers. Young shoots can be eaten like asparagus. Higher up and behind the cattails are saw palmettos. These are shrubs with fan shaped leaves and sharp, saw-like teeth along the leaf stem. Their flowers are used in honey production.