Prairie Dropseed

Sporobolus heterolepis

Prairie Dropseed is the most refined and elegant of all native ornamental grasses. The fine, arching leaves form a perfectly symmetrical mound that cascades outward like a fountain, catching light in a way that makes the plant look almost luminous on a sunny afternoon. In late summer and fall, airy flower panicles rise above the mound carrying a distinctive scent. sweet and slightly spicy, like coriander. that drifts on warm fall evenings near a mass planting. It's slow to establish but extremely long-lived, essentially permanent once it settles in, and it requires almost no care once established. Fall color is a warm amber-orange that holds through winter, giving the garden texture and movement in the cold months. In mass plantings it creates a flowing, meadow-like carpet that responds to every breeze. One of the finest native ornamental grasses available, period.