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

General Landscape Uses: Accent grass. Massing groundcover in open, dry areas. Also wildflower and rock gardens.

Availability: Widely cultivated. Available in Homestead at Plant Creations Inc. (305-248-8147) and in Boynton Beach at Sustainscape (561-245-5305).

Description: Medium herbaceous grass

Dimensions: About 2-3 feet in height; to 4 feet when in flower. About as broad as tall.

Growth Rate: Moderate.

Range: Monroe and Miami-Dade counties, and rare in Martin and Collier counties; West Indies (Cuba, Hispaniola). In the Monroe County Keys, disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key.

 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: Pine rocklands and marl prairies.

Soils: Moist, well-drained limestone soils, without humus.

Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.

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

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

Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.

Light Requirements: Full sun.

Flower Color: Anthers orange, stigma purple.

Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy inflorescence.

Flowering Season: All year.

Fruit: Inconspicuous caryopsis.

Wildlife and Ecology: Birds eat the fruits.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed and division.

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

Comments: It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida.