Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Fine, fountain-like mounds with coriander-scented fall panicles and amber-orange winter color. Slow to establish, then essentially permanent.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The most refined native grass. perfectly symmetrical form, fragrant fall flowers, and warm amber winter color in one elegant plant.
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.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown prairie dropseed propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant prairie dropseed instead of Pennisetum alopecuroides (fountain grass). Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 1.5–2.5 ft · 18–30 in wide
- Bloom time
- Fall
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Poaceae
- Native range
- Central and eastern North America, from Quebec south to Texas, concentrated in the tallgrass prairie region
Care notes for prairie dropseed.
Plant in full sun in well-drained to dry, average to lean soil. Slow to establish in year one. do not overwater or fertilize. Cut back to 3-4 inches in late winter before new growth. Very drought-tolerant once established. Do not plant in heavy clay or poorly drained soil. Slow but permanent once established. worth the patience.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside prairie dropseed.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.