| Purple love grass
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| Eragrostis spectabilis
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| Poaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Groundcover in sunny moist soils. Wildflower gardens. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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| Availability: |
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Widely available in central Florida. Commonly available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in South Florida. Available in Fort Meyers at Natives of Corkscrew. |
| Description: |
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Medium herbaceous grass. |
| Height: |
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About 2-3 feet in height. About as broad as tall, or somewhat broader. |
| Growth Rate: |
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Fast. |
| Range: |
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Eastern, central and southern North America, and scattered nearly throughout Florida south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties; Mexico. |
| Habitats: |
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Pinelands and open, disturbed sites. |
| Soils: |
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Moist to wet, well-drained sandy soils, without humus. |
| Nutritional Requirements: |
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Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. |
| Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. |
| Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. |
| Drought Tolerance: |
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High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
| Light Requirements: |
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Full sun. |
| Flower Color: |
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Purple inflorescence. |
| Flower Characteristics: |
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Showy inflorescence. |
| Flowering Season: |
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Summer-fall. |
| Fruit: |
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Inconspicuous caryopsis. |
| Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Attracts pollinators. |
| Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from seed. |
| Comments: |
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Grasses, Sedges and Rushes of Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Florida website.
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Grasses, Sedges and Rushes of Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Florida website.
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