Prairie Dropseed

Order: Cyperales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Sporobolus

Species: S. heterolepis

Identifying Characteristics:

- Taking up to five years to mature from seed, the adult dropseed can range from 1-4 feet tall and can survive over multiple growing seasons, as it is a perennial plant.

- its long luscious green leaves grow in bunches around a circular base and are no more than 1/8th of an inch wide. The leaves range in color from a rich green hue in summer to a golden rust complexion in the fall. From late July to mid-September, the grass blooms with rusty-tan flowers.

Special Adaptations:

- Native Americans were known to grind the seeds of the grass to make a tasty flour, and several species of birds find the grainy seeds a very edible treat.

-The preference is full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and soil that is loamy, rocky, or gravelly. Because the seeds are difficult to germinate, it is easier to propagate this grass by dividing the dense tufts of leaves. Once it becomes established at a suitable site, Prairie Dropseed is long-lived

- Habitats consist primarily of hill prairies, gravel prairies, dolomite prairies, black soil prairies, cemetery prairies, prairie remnants along railroads, and limestone glades. Less often, Prairie Dropseed has been found in savannas, thinly wooded rocky bluffs, and grassy fens. This grass is found primarily in high quality natural areas. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant.