Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Availability: Grown by a few native plant nurseries in central Florida.

Description: Medium herbaceous grass.

Dimensions: About 2-3 feet in height. Spreading from underground stems and forming patches broader than tall.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Eastern and central United States west to Texas and south to Martin, Hendry and Collier counties.

 Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

 Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.

 Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.

Habitats: Wet pinelands and marshes.

Soils: Moist to wet, moderately well-drained sandy soils, with some humusy material in the top layer.

Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.

Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.

Drought Tolerance: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.

Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.

Flower Color: Brownish inflorescence.

Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.

Flowering Season: Summer-fall.

Fruit: Inconspicuous caryopsis.

Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host for clouded skipper (Lerema accius) butterflies). Attracts pollinators.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.