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These plants are important in the preservation of Florida sand dunes. Sea oats therefore have a great environmental and economic value to the state of Florida. In fact, these plants are protected by state law. The plants are far from being endangered, but it is still illegal to pick wild sea oats, even the seeds.
Correspondingly, are sea oats protected?
Legal protection Sea oats are a protected grass in several states along the southeastern Atlantic coast. Picking or disturbing sea oats is punishable by fine in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
In this regard, are sea grapes protected in Florida?
Sea Grapes are Protected, Sometimes…. Let's start with the legal stuff: The Florida Legislature recognized the importance of coastal plant species. Consequently, it is the policy of the Department of Environmental Protection to protect native salt-tolerant vegetation and endangered plant communities.
Sea Oats grow in abundance on shores from Texas to North Carolina and are quite edible. They are not on any endangered list but it is illegal to pick them in Florida and Georgia. However, they are a desirable coastal plant –Sea Oats stabilize sand dunes — so they are talked up as endangered.