Zostera marina

Eel grass

Family: Zosteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Eel grass is a California native perennial found in coastal bioregions including North Coast, Central Coast, Southern Coast, and Channel Islands, rooted generally 1 to 4 meters below mean low tide in shallow water, bays, and estuaries. Flowering from March to June, this marine plant produces delicate underwater flowers with subtle reproductive structures. Growing with long, ribbon-like green blades up to 150 centimeters in length and 1.5 to 12 millimeters wide, it forms dense underwater meadows with multiple roots emerging from each node. Its leaves have closed sheaths and generally obtuse tips, creating a flowing underwater landscape that provides critical marine habitat. These plants reproduce through both sexual flowering and vegetative spread, with multiple roots anchoring them in soft marine sediments.

Habitat: Common. Shallow water, bays, estuaries

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: rooted generally 1-4 m below mean low tide

Bioregions: NCo, CCo, SCo, ChI

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.