Prairie dropseed is a sun loving, fine-textured grass with long, narrow leaves that arch outward, forming attractive, round tufts. The leaves range in color from a rich green hue in summer to a golden rust color in the fall. Foliage is resilient enough to resist flattening by snow, so it provides year-round interest.
Blooms from late July to mid-September, with rusty-tan flowers that rise 30” to 36” in height.
It occurs in a wide range of soils, doing well in moist to dry conditions. It is much less common in wetlands.
Grows to 12-36"
Sporobolus heterolepis
Photos by Peter Dzuik of Minnesota Wildflowers; Daderot - Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16002978
Prairie dropseed is a sun loving, fine-textured grass with long, narrow leaves that arch outward, forming attractive, round tufts. The leaves range in color from a rich green hue in summer to a golden rust color in the fall. Foliage is resilient enough to resist flattening by snow, so it provides year-round interest.
Blooms from late July to mid-September, with rusty-tan flowers that rise 30” to 36” in height.
It occurs in a wide range of soils, doing well in moist to dry conditions. It is much less common in wetlands.
Grows to 12-36"
Sporobolus heterolepis
Photos by Peter Dzuik of Minnesota Wildflowers; Daderot - Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16002978
