Eragrostis spectabilis

Common Names

Purple Love Grass, Purple Lovegrass, Purple Plains Lovegrass, Tumblegrass, Petticoat Climber, Spectacular Love Grass

Summary

Eragrostis spectabilis, commonly called Purple Love Grass, is a warm-season perennial bunch grass native to North America, ranging from southern Canada to northeastern Mexico, it forms dense tufts about 1–2 feet tall with a 2–3 feet spread, and displays airy reddish-purple panicles in midsummer that rise above green, flat leaves, the inflorescences create a cloud-like display and may detach and blow like a tumbleweed, it is drought-tolerant, thrives in full sun, and prefers dry to well-drained soils, including sandy sites, for cultivation, plant in full sun in dry to well-drained soils, propagate by seed or division, and once established requires minimal maintenance, it is suitable for borders, mass plantings, native gardens, erosion control, and meadow or prairie plantings, and can naturalize through self-seeding or short rhizomes, it tolerates drought, deer pressure, and is hardy in USDA zones 5–9, making it a versatile, low-input ornamental that adds texture and late-season color while attracting wildlife

Lifecycle

Annual, Perennial

Height

12-24 inches

Spread

2-3 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun; tolerates Partial Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained sandy soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Purple

Bloom Time

Summer to Fall

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Bronzy-red in fall

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division, Layering

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds, butterflies, and other pollinators