Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Grass
Origin
Southern Africa
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Types
Perennial
Sporobolus heterolepis
Number of Varieties
5015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
Hay fields
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-103-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-8
10 - 2
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.30 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm50.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Tan, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Root
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Prairie Dropseed
In Hindi
African Iris
prairie dropseed
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Prärie Dropseed
In French
African Iris
prairie dropseed
In Spanish
Iris africano
dropseed pradera
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
λιβάδι dropseed
In Portuguese
Iris africano
pradaria dropseed
In Polish
Afryki Iris
łąka dropseed
In Latin
African Iris
PRATUM grama
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Poales
Family
Iridaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Dietes
Sporobolus
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
-
Number of Species
30010
1
27800
👆🏻