Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tender Perennial
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
Sporobolus heterolepis
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Habitat
Hay fields
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-8
8-15
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 2
12-5
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
White, Red, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Lance shaped
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 8-4-6 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
Yes
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Butterflies
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaves, Rhizomes
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
ALPINIA zerumbet
Common Name
Prairie Dropseed
Shell Ginger
In Hindi
prairie dropseed
Shell Ginger
In German
Prärie Dropseed
Shell Ginger
In French
prairie dropseed
Shell Ginger
In Spanish
dropseed pradera
Shell jengibre
In Greek
λιβάδι dropseed
Shell Τζίντζερ
In Portuguese
pradaria dropseed
Shell Ginger
In Polish
łąka dropseed
Shell Imbir
In Latin
PRATUM grama
Crusta Ginger
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Lilopsida
Order
Poales
Zingiberales
Family
Poaceae
Zingiberaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Season and Care of Prairie Dropseed and Shell Ginger
Season and care of Prairie Dropseed and Shell Ginger is important to know. While considering everything about Prairie Dropseed and Shell Ginger Care, growing season is an essential factor. Prairie Dropseed season is Summer and Fall and Shell Ginger season is Summer and Fall. The type of soil for Prairie Dropseed is Clay, Loam, Sand and for Shell Ginger is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Prairie Dropseed is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Shell Ginger is Acidic, Neutral.
Prairie Dropseed and Shell Ginger Physical Information
Prairie Dropseed and Shell Ginger physical information is very important for comparison. Prairie Dropseed height is 45.70 cm and width 50.80 cm whereas Shell Ginger height is 180.00 cm and width 120.00 cm. The color specification of Prairie Dropseed and Shell Ginger are as follows:
Prairie Dropseed flower color: Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
Prairie Dropseed leaf color: Green
Shell Ginger flower color: White, Red and Light Pink
- Shell Ginger leaf color: Dark Green
Care of Prairie Dropseed and Shell Ginger
Care of Prairie Dropseed and Shell Ginger include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Prairie Dropseed pruning is done Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches and Remove dead leaves and Shell Ginger pruning is done Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves and Remove dead or diseased plant parts. In summer Prairie Dropseed needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Shell Ginger needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.