Sign In 
Get Premium Arizona Cottontop
(Digitaria californica)
Arizona Cottontop (Digitaria californica)
/
/
Sam Kieschnick
CC BY 4.0
Image By:
Sam Kieschnick
Recorded By:
Copyright:
CC BY 4.0
Copyright Notice:
Photo by: Sam Kieschnick | License Type: CC BY 4.0 | License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | Rights Holder: Sam Kieschnick | Publisher: iNaturalist | Date Created: 2017-08-19T06:13:20-07:00 |
Estimated Native Range
Summary
Digitaria californica, commonly known as Arizona Cottontop, is a semi-deciduous perennial grass native to open grasslands, desert scrub, and oak woodlands in the southwestern United States to South America. It typically grows to a height of 1-3 feet (0.3-0.9 meters) and a width of 2 feet (0.6 meters). Arizona Cottontop is characterized by its fine-textured foliage and fluffy, cotton-like seed heads that appear in late summer and persist into fall, providing a unique textural element in the landscape.
This grass is valued for its adaptability to arid conditions and its ability to thrive with minimal care, making it an excellent choice for xeriscaping and naturalistic plantings. It is also used for erosion control and as a forage grass. Arizona Cottontop requires full sun to part shade and prefers well-drained soils, tolerating a range of soil types from sandy to clay. It is drought-tolerant, often going dormant during dry periods and resuming growth with the return of rain. While it is generally low-maintenance, it can reseed prolifically under favorable conditions and may require management to prevent unwanted spread.CC BY-SA 4.0
This grass is valued for its adaptability to arid conditions and its ability to thrive with minimal care, making it an excellent choice for xeriscaping and naturalistic plantings. It is also used for erosion control and as a forage grass. Arizona Cottontop requires full sun to part shade and prefers well-drained soils, tolerating a range of soil types from sandy to clay. It is drought-tolerant, often going dormant during dry periods and resuming growth with the return of rain. While it is generally low-maintenance, it can reseed prolifically under favorable conditions and may require management to prevent unwanted spread.CC BY-SA 4.0
Plant Description
- Plant Type: Grass
- Height: 1-3 feet
- Width: 1-1.5 feet
- Growth Rate: Rapid
- Flower Color: N/A
- Flowering Season: Summer
- Leaf Retention: Semi-Deciduous
Growth Requirements
- Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Water: Low
- Drainage: Fast
Common Uses
Drought Tolerant, Erosion Control, Groundcover, Low Maintenance
Natural Habitat
native to open grasslands, desert scrub, and oak woodlands in the southwestern United States to South America
Other Names
Common Names:
Scientific Names: , Digitaria californica, Digitaria californica var. californica, Digitaria californica var. villosissima, Trichachne californica, Panicum californicum, Panicum lachnanthum, Panicum saccharatum, Trichachne saccharata, Panicum friesii
GBIF Accepted Name: Digitaria californica (Benth.) Henrard