Pityopsis nervosa
An Asteraceae native to the Coastal Plain and Sandhills that is drought-tolerant, with tall stems and large showy flower heads, blooms June–October, and responds well to recurring fire.
Common Names
Common Silkgrass
Summary
Pityopsis nervosa is a North American native perennial forb in the Asteraceae, commonly called Common Silkgrass. It thrives in dry, sunny habitats such as Longleaf pine sandhills, dry woodlands and forests (including ridgetop pine/heath communities) and roadbanks, predominantly in the Coastal Plain and Sandhills with a range spanning Delaware to southern Ohio and central Arkansas south to Florida and eastern Texas; additional occurrences are reported in the Bahamas, Mexico and Central America. Silky silvery appressed hairs coat leaves and stems, and the plant spreads vegetatively by rhizomes to form colonies.
Flowering occurs from July to October; stems reach about 1.5–2.5 feet tall, with basal leaves 6 inches to 1 foot long and 10–20 mm wide. Flower heads are about an inch across, with yellow rays and yellow disc florets; involucre measures about 9–14 mm high. The plant is a perennial with a dense coating of silky hairs that moderates surface temperature.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1.5-2.5 feet
Soil Type
Sandy, well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soils, especially sandy soils, moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils without humus, moist soils in Longleaf Pine–Wiregrass savannas
Bloom Color
Yellow
Bloom Time
Summer and Fall (June–October)
Foliage Color
Silvery
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Moderate
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division, Vegetative propagation via underground rhizomes (rhizome spread)
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Willd.) Dress
- Publication
- Baileya 19: 166 (1975)
- Synonym Of
- Pityopsis graminifolia var. latifolia