Native in Japan, China, Korea, Russia, Greenland, and North America, found on sand dunes. It has a large rhizome, which anchors it into the sand and helps stabilize the dunes. Indigenous people wove the grass for use as baskets, mats, handles, ropes, and reef nets. It is cultivated in Japan for ropes, mats, and paper. This native beach grass is often threatened by
European Beach Grass (Calamagrostis arenaria), which is native to Europe but has been introduced to the Pacific coast for its sand binding properties.
