Sporobolus heterolepis
Sources note a North American native perennial bunch grass with bright green, fine-textured blades, fragrant airy flowers in late summer to fall, thriving in full sun, drought-tolerant once established, and supporting wildlife.
Common Names
Prairie Dropseed, Prairie Drop Seed, Prairie Dropseed Grass, Dropseed
Summary
Prairie Dropseed is a North American native warm-season grass that grows in neat clumps of fine-textured, narrow arching leaves, reaching about 2–3 feet tall and wide, with airy late-summer panicles and a coriander-like fragrance from the seeds; foliage turns golden-orange in autumn and bronze in winter, providing year-round visual interest. It thrives in full sun with well-drained soils and dry to medium moisture, is drought-tolerant, and tolerates clay; maintenance is low and establishment slow, with propagation by seed or division. In landscapes it serves as borders, prairies, meadows, rock gardens, and erosion-control plantings, while seeds attract birds and plants are deer-tolerant.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
24-36 inches
Spread
2-3 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full Sun; tolerates partial Sun and partial Shade
Soil Type
Dry to medium, well-drained soils
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil.
Soil pH
6.0-8.0
Bloom Color
Pinkish-brown
Bloom Time
Summer to Fall
Foliage Color
Green foliage that turns golden-orange in fall and bronze in winter.
Fall Foliage Color
Golden orange
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Slow
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (A.Gray) A.Gray
- Publication
- Manual : 576 (1848)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Poales
- Family
- Poaceae
- Genus
- Sporobolus