Native to prairies, open woods, rocky slopes and roadsides of the western plains states, this perennial grass is a member of the grass family, Poaceae, that also includes bamboo, rice, and corn. The erect to arching leaves are mostly basal, hairless, and 6-36″ long. The flowers and seedheads are carried in airy panicles on 4′ long stems and are narrow a first but spread to 12″ wide. The flowers are bright green tinted with red from midsummer to early autumn when they turn buff-brown. Plants are drought tolerant and a good choice for beds, borders, cottage, native plant, prairie, and wildflower gardens. The genus name, Eragrostis, comes from the Greek words eros meaning love, and agrostis meaning grass, but how that applies to the genus is unknown. The specific epithet, trichodes, comes from the Greek thricho- meaning hair-like.
Type: Perennial grass
Bloom: Bright green tinted with red from midsummer to early autumn
Size: 6-36″ H
Light: Full sun
Soil: Fertile, medium moist to dry, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 5-9
Care: Cut to the ground in early spring before growth resumes.
Pests and Diseases: None of significance
Propagation: Seed, division in early summer
Companion Plants: Lead plant (Amorpha canescens), June grass (Koeleria macrantha), prairie pussytoes, (Antennaria neglecta)
Outstanding Selections:
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Karen Meyers