Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Sporobolus heterolepis
-
Number of Varieties
153
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hay fields
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-84-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 2
9-1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
1a, 1b, 2a, 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
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.80 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires a lot of watering, 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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Prairie Dropseed
River Birch
In Hindi
prairie dropseed
River Birch
In German
Prärie Dropseed
Fluss Birch
In French
prairie dropseed
Birch river
In Spanish
dropseed pradera
river Birch
In Greek
λιβάδι dropseed
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
pradaria dropseed
river Birch
In Polish
łąka dropseed
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
PRATUM grama
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Fagales
Family
Poaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Sporobolus
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
103
1
27800
👆🏻