Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Types
Nassella tenuissima
Sporobolus heterolepis
Number of Varieties
1515
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
Hay fields
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-103-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11 - 4
10 - 2
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 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
50.80 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
55.90 cm50.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Tan, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
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
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Requires little pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 12-6-6 fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
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
Fine
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
NASSELLA tenuissima
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
Common Name
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
Prairie Dropseed
In Hindi
Mexican Feather Grass
prairie dropseed
In German
Mexikanische Federgras
Prärie Dropseed
In French
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
prairie dropseed
In Spanish
Pluma hierba mexicana
dropseed pradera
In Greek
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
λιβάδι dropseed
In Portuguese
Mexican Pena Relva
pradaria dropseed
In Polish
Mexican Feather trawy
łąka dropseed
In Latin
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
PRATUM grama
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Poales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Nassella
Sporobolus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Stipeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
11610
1
27800
👆🏻