Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Plant Height: 24 inches
Flower Height: 3 feet
Spread: 3 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 2
Description:
Native to the Great Plains and Prairies, this extremely fine-textured grass features airy plumes of fine seed heads floating over the grassy foliage in the late season; ideal for restoration projects and flowing hummocky accents in the urban landscape
Ornamental Features:
Prairie Dropseed features delicate plumes of orange flowers rising above the foliage from late summer to early fall. It's threadlike leaves are light green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous harvest gold in the fall. The tan seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from early to late fall.
Landscape Attributes:
Prairie Dropseed is an open herbaceous ornamental grass with a shapely form and gracefully arching stems. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance ornamental grass, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Prairie Dropseed is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
Plant Characteristics:
Prairie Dropseed will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 3 feet. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.
This ornamental grass does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This plant can be propagated by seed.
This species is native to parts of North America.
