.....The high marsh is distinguished from the low marsh by its sandy soil and higher elevation. The elevation of the high marsh allows this zone to covered by the high tide for no more than an hour a day. With the soil exposed to air for long periods of time, evaporation occurs, leading to high salinity levels, up to four times that of sea water. Area of extremely high salinity prohibit plant growth all together. These barren sandy areas are know as "salt pans". Some cordgrassplants do survive here, but are stunted and do not reach thier full size.

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All plant illustrations on this page are courtesy of Taylor Schoettle's A Guide to a Georgia Barrier Islands. Click here for ordering and contact info.

Common Name: Glasswort or Pickle Weed
Linnaeus Classification: Salicornia virginica, S. bigelovii, S. europaea
Description: succulent plants w/ tiny partitioned leaves