Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Africa
Types
Sporobolus heterolepis
Pennisetum glaucum
Number of Varieties
157
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hay fields
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-88-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 2
12 - 8
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.80 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown, Cream
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, 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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Common Name
Prairie Dropseed
Millet, Pearl Millet
In Hindi
prairie dropseed
purple millet
In German
Prärie Dropseed
purple millet
In French
prairie dropseed
millet pourpre
In Spanish
dropseed pradera
purple millet
In Greek
λιβάδι dropseed
purple millet
In Portuguese
pradaria dropseed
purple millet
In Polish
łąka dropseed
purple millet
In Latin
PRATUM grama
purple millet
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Sporobolus
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Paniceae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
101
1
27800
👆🏻