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Sporobolus compositus var. compositus

Sporobolus compositus (Poir.) Merr. var. compositus

Composite Dropseed, Tall Dropseed

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Synonym(s): Sporobolus asper, Sporobolus asper var. hookeri

USDA Symbol: SPCOC2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

Tall Dropseed is a 2-5 ft., perennial bunchgrass with stout culms in small tufts. A long, narrow, inflorescence stays partly hidden inside the sheath. Foliage turns purple in the fall, eventually becoming tan.

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Inflorescence: Panicle
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: Up to about 5 feet tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , CO , CT , DE , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , NC , ND , NE , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SD , TN , TX , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY
Canada: NB
Native Distribution: VT to e. WA, s. to LA & AZ
Native Habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannas, Open woodlands

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Sandy soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay

Value to Beneficial Insects

Provides Nesting Materials/Structure for Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-45 Collected 2006-11-03 in Travis County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Bibliography

Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Sporobolus compositus var. compositus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Sporobolus compositus var. compositus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Sporobolus compositus var. compositus

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-01-26
Research By: TWC Staff

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