Sporobolus heterolepis, called prairie dropseed, is a clump-forming, warm season, native perennial grass which typically occurs in prairies, glades, open ground and along railroads. Fine-textured, hair-like, medium green leaves typically form an arching foliage mound to 15” tall and 18” wide. Foliage turns golden with orange hues in fall, fading to light bronze in winter. Open, branching flower panicles appear on slender stems which rise well above the foliage clump in late summer to 30-36" tall. Flowers have pink and brown tints, but are perhaps most noted for their unique fragrance. Tiny rounded mature seeds drop to the ground from their hulls in autumn giving rise to the descriptive common name.
- Type: Ornamental grass
- Native
- Zone: 3 to 9
- Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
- Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
- Bloom Time: August to October
- Bloom Description: Pink and brown-tinted
- Sun: Full sun
- Water: Dry to medium
- Maintenance: Low
- Suggested Use: Ground Cover, Naturalize, Rain Garden
- Flower: Showy, Fragrant
- Leaf: Good Fall
- Attracts: Birds
- Other: Winter Interest
- Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Erosion, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil, Black Walnut, Air Pollution