Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Grass
Fruit, Shrub
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
South America
Types
Sporobolus heterolepis
V. × heilbornii
Number of Varieties
150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hay fields
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-89-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 2
11-9
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.80 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
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
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires regular watering
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Digestive disorders
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used in making champagne
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
Common Name
Prairie Dropseed
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
In Hindi
prairie dropseed
Babaco
In German
Prärie Dropseed
Babaco
In French
prairie dropseed
Babaco
In Spanish
dropseed pradera
Babaco
In Greek
λιβάδι dropseed
Babaco
In Portuguese
pradaria dropseed
Babaco
In Polish
łąka dropseed
Babaco
In Latin
PRATUM grama
Babaco
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Brassicales
Family
Poaceae
Caricaceae
Genus
Sporobolus
Vasconcellea
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
101
1
27800
👆🏻