Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Types
Sporobolus heterolepis
Nassella tenuissima
Number of Varieties
1515
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hay fields
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-86-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 2
11 - 4
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm50.80 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.80 cm55.90 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
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
Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Do not water excessively
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, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 12-6-6 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
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
NASSELLA tenuissima
Common Name
Prairie Dropseed
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
In Hindi
prairie dropseed
Mexican Feather Grass
In German
Prärie Dropseed
Mexikanische Federgras
In French
prairie dropseed
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
In Spanish
dropseed pradera
Pluma hierba mexicana
In Greek
λιβάδι dropseed
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
In Portuguese
pradaria dropseed
Mexican Pena Relva
In Polish
łąka dropseed
Mexican Feather trawy
In Latin
PRATUM grama
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Sporobolus
Nassella
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Stipeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
10116
1
27800
👆🏻