How to Grow and Care for Eelgrass

Seawrack (Zostera marina) is a perennial aquatic seagrass that will grow to 91 cm tall. It blooms from summer to fall with inconspicuous flowers. The seeds ripen in fall. Edible leaves can be consumed raw or cooked and are sweet and crisp. Native Americans chewed the roots and leaves as a feast food.

Zostera noltii has a creeping rhizome that runs along under the surface of the seabed. Groups of two to five strap-shaped leaves grow out of nodes on the rhizome and each node also bears a tuft of up to four short roots that anchor the plant in the sediment. The leaves have three irregular, longitudinal veins and blunt, notched ends.

Nana is an aquatic grass-like plant inhabiting shallow marine and brackish waters. It features long, ribbon-like green leaves that create underwater meadows, crucial habitats for marine life. The plant plays a vital role in stabilizing the seabed, filtering water and sequestering carbon, thereby sustaining coastal ecosystems.

Zostera capensis is an important keystone species found all along the coasts of Africa, preserving ecosystems and providing shelter for wildlife. The Latin name Zostera capensis includes the Latin word for "cape" for its native habitat in the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Nowadays, populations of zostera capensis have continually been fragmented by human activity. Things such as nutrient enrichment, shellfishing, and flooding all have threatened its native habitats.