Learn how to care for this low-maintenance native grass.
Planted in small groups or in masses, prairie dropseed brings a hint of theprairie to your garden.
The leaves turn golden or orange in fall, then change to coppery brown in winter.
Credit:Bob Stefko
Flower panicles appear above the foliage on slender stems in late summer.
Sometimes, a scent of popcorn surrounds the plant at this time of year.
Bob Stefko
As a native plant, prairie dropseed attracts pollinators and birds.
Credit: Matthew Benson
Where to Plant Prairie Dropseed
Thisdeer-resistant plantthrives in a wide range of gardens inUSDA Hardiness Zones 3-9.
Plant it in garden beds, along paths, and in native habitat gardens.
Use prairie dropseed in perennial gardens with blooming plants of any color beside this plant.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
The grass planted in a row along sidewalks and paths brings a sense of order to your landscape.
However, prairie dropseed is a hardy native grass that may be planted whenever the ground is workable.
Plant at the depth grown in the pot.
When planting a group of these grasses, space 18 inches to 2 feet apart.
Cut back to 4 inches in early spring.
Fertilization is not necessary.
Light
Choose a spot in full sun (at least 8 hours of direct sunlight).
Soil and Water
Plant in well-drained soil.
Apply supplemental water the first year.
It adapts to periods of wet soil such as on the sides of a rain garden but is drought-tolerant.
Pests and Problems
Pests tend to leave this plant alone.
Like all grasses, the center eventually does not send out new growth.
Lift the clump anddivide the plant, discarding the old center.
Replant one piece in the same location and the rest in another location.
‘Tara’ also tends to be more uniform.
The foliage turns rust red in the fall.
It grows up to 3 feet tall and about a foot wide.
This plant is often late to emerge in spring so be careful not to weed it out.
Plants in theAsclepiasgenus provide food for the larvae (caterpillars) of themonarch butterfly.
This small to medium size prairie perennial works well with native grasses and in perennial gardens in Zones 3-9.
They grow from 8 to 24 inches tall and wide and are deer resistant.
Two favorite varieties are purple ‘Caradonna’ and pink ‘Rose Wine’.
