Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also margins or freshwater ponds and lakes.

Availability: Native plant nurseries.

Description: Medium to large herbaceous grass.

Dimensions: Typically 2-4 feet in height; to 6 feet when in flower. Spreading from underground stems (rhizomes) and forming large patches.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Southeastern United States north to New Jersey, west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade County and the Monroe County mainland.

 Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

 Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.

 Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.

Habitats: Marshes and swamps.

Soils: Wet, poorly-drained organic soils.

Nutritional Requirements: High; requires rich organic soils for optimal growth.

Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.

Drought Tolerance: Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.

Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.

Flower Color: Brownish inflorescence.

Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.

Flowering Season: Spring-fall.

Fruit: Inconspicuous caryopsis.

Wildlife and Ecology: Provides cover for spawning fish. Larval host for clouded skipper (Lerema accius) and Delaware skipper (Anatrytone logan) butterflies.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and divisions.

References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual (2005).