Sea Oats in Season

"Uniola paniculata, or Sea oats, is a species of grass that grows along the East Coast and the Gulf Coast of the United States, Mexico and on islands in the Caribbean. Sea oats are well suited to saline environments, and as such, are important to barrier islandecology and are often used in soil stabilization projects because their long root structure firmly holds loose soil.

Sea oats are a protected grass in most states along the East Coast. Recently, Floridian ornithologists discovered that the pygmy burrowing owl makes its nest within sea oat colonies to conceal its young from natural predators such as the frigate. Picking or disturbing sea oats is punishable by fine in Georgia and Florida." - Wikepedia.com

The oats are a crucial component of hurricane defense strategy. The plants below are in "flowering season" on Longboat Key beaches.