Purple Love Grass
(Eragrostis spectabilis)
Purple Love Grass (Eragrostis spectabilis)
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Katja Schulz
CC BY 2.0
Image By:
Katja Schulz
Recorded By:
Copyright:
CC BY 2.0
Copyright Notice:
Photo by: Katja Schulz | License Type: CC BY 2.0 | License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ | Uploader: treegrow | Publisher: Flickr |
Estimated Native Range
Summary
Eragrostis spectabilis, commonly known as Purple Love Grass, is a perennial, tufted grass native to open woodlands, plains, and disturbed areas such as sandy or gravelly roadsides across eastern North America. It typically grows 30 to 70 cm tall and is characterized by its upright growth habit. The inflorescences bloom in late summer to early fall, turning a showy purple color, and contain seeds that are dispersed when the inflorescence breaks off and is moved by the wind. After seed dispersal in the fall, the plant’s stems and branches turn a soft brown or tan. The whorled branching structure of the inflorescence, with three branches coming off the rachis at a time, is notable.
Purple Love Grass is valued for its ornamental appeal, particularly its vibrant purple inflorescences and its ability to thrive in challenging conditions. It is used in cultivation for mass plantings, as a ground cover, and for erosion control due to its drought, salt, and cold resistance. It is also a C4 grass, indicating its efficiency in hot, sunny environments. This grass prefers full sun but tolerates part shade and is adaptable to a range of soil types, though it thrives in sandy soil with good drainage. It requires low amounts of water once established. While it spreads through rhizomes and seed dispersal, it is not typically aggressive or invasive. Seeds exhibit physiological dormancy and germinate after a dormancy period of about ten weeks.CC BY-SA 4.0
Purple Love Grass is valued for its ornamental appeal, particularly its vibrant purple inflorescences and its ability to thrive in challenging conditions. It is used in cultivation for mass plantings, as a ground cover, and for erosion control due to its drought, salt, and cold resistance. It is also a C4 grass, indicating its efficiency in hot, sunny environments. This grass prefers full sun but tolerates part shade and is adaptable to a range of soil types, though it thrives in sandy soil with good drainage. It requires low amounts of water once established. While it spreads through rhizomes and seed dispersal, it is not typically aggressive or invasive. Seeds exhibit physiological dormancy and germinate after a dormancy period of about ten weeks.CC BY-SA 4.0
Plant Description
- Plant Type: Grass
- Height: 1-2 feet
- Width: 1-2 feet
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Flower Color: N/A
- Flowering Season: Summer, Fall
- Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Growth Requirements
- Sun: Full Sun
- Water: Low
- Drainage: Fast, Medium
Common Uses
Bird Garden, Border Plant, Butterfly Garden, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Groundcover, Low Maintenance, Salt Tolerant, Street Planting
Natural Habitat
Open woodlands and plains across eastern North America, prefers sandy soil with good drainage, adaptable to a range of soil types, used for mass plantings and erosion control
Other Names
Common Names: Petticoat-Climber
Scientific Names: , Eragrostis spectabilis, Eragrostis pectinacea, Eragrostis spectabilis var. sparsihirsuta, Eragrostis geyeri, Eragrostis velutina, Eragrostis pectinacea var. spectabilis, Poa villosa, Eragrostis spectabilis var. spectabilis, Poa spectabilis
GBIF Accepted Name: Eragrostis spectabilis (Pursh) Steud.