Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet, Medium, Medium-Dry, Dry
Soil Type: Sand, Loam, Loam-Clay
Height: 2 feet
Spread: 2 - 3 feet
Blooms: August, September, October
Root: Fibrous
Habitat: Hill Prairies, Gravel Prairies, Savannas, Thinly wooded rocky bluffs
Landscape uses: Pollinator garden, Naturalization, Drought Tolerant
Complimentary Plants: Butterfly Milkweed, Pale Purple Coneflower, Nodding Onion
Wildlife Value: Grasshoppers eat the leaves. Host plant: Red-Tailed Leafhopper (designated Species of concern due to loss of habitat). The seeds are eaten by sparrows and other granivorous songbirds from late summer into winter; these species include the Field Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, and Slate-Colored Junco.
Seed Origin: Coldwater, ON (Wildflower Farm seed supplier)
Germination Code: A
Photo credits: #1 by Krzysztof Ziarnek , #2 by Krzysztof Ziarnek, #3 by David J. Stang, #4 by David J. Stang
Sporobolus heterolepis - Prairie Dropseed
Prairie Dropseed is a beautiful clump forming native grass with dense tufts of sprawling narrow leaves. This grass sends up seed stalks in late summer and takes on a nice golden hue all throughout the fall and winter. An interesting design element for a native plant garden, which also smells similar to cilantro.
Sporobolus heterolepis has a special photosynthetic metabolism, typically found in cacti. This allows it to adapt to growing in hot, dry conditions once established. Called C4 metabolism, the grass stores up the sun's energy during the day, but actually processes the energy to convert to stored starches during the night, when the moisture loss associated with daytime photosynthetic activity, is minimized.
The seeds of this species, which drop in the fall, are a great food for seed eating birds. This is also a host plant for one of our declining leaphoper species.