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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Eragrostis intermedia (Plains lovegrass)
Strickland, Sam C.

Eragrostis intermedia

Eragrostis intermedia Hitchc.

Plains Lovegrass, Plains Love Grass

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: erin

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

An 1-3+ ft., tufted, perennial bunchgrass with long, narrow leaf blades. The stout, erect flowering culm supports a seed head nearly half as long as the entire plant. The airy seed head is diffusely branched with many small spikelets.

 

From the Image Gallery

13 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: Up to about 3-1/2 feet tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , CA , FL , GA , KS , MA , MO , MS , NC , NM , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA
Native Distribution: GA; LA & MO to KS & AZ, s. to Central America
Native Habitat: Dry or sandy slopes & plains, Found throughout Texas except in easternmost part. Sand, clay, rocky soils, often disturbed.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Deep, well-drained soils. Desturbed, Rocky, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay.
Conditions Comments: Plains lovegrass is an attractive mid-sized grass for meadow gardens or garden accents. The seedheads appear delicate because the spikelets are spread out along the panicle; it has a light texture and is somewhat transparent. Warm season. Drought tolerant.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Deer Resistant: High

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

Description: Propagate by seed.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Plants to stop erosion in Arizona
January 17, 2009
I'm looking for a plant to stop erosion; I have big wash outs that are starting to erode my yard so I guess I'm looking for deep rooting plants. I live south of Tucson, Arizona. If you can advise me...
view the full question and answer

Erosion control plants for steep slope in Austin, TX
April 09, 2007
I'm interested in finding native plants, either perennials or grasses, that would help control erosion on a fairly steep slope. These plants would be in a park, and volunteers will be watering the pl...
view the full question and answer

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
Patsy Glenn Refuge, c/o Wimberley Birding Society - Wimberley, TX
Texas Master Naturalists - Lost Pines Chapter - Bastrop, TX
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR
Jacob's Well Natural Area - Wimberley, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0294B Collected Sept. 7, 1992 in Kendall County by Kristina Coates
NPSOT 0294A Collected Sept. 1992 in Kendall County by Kristina Coates
NPSOT 0985 Collected Nov 9, 1994 in Bexar County by Mike Fox

3 specimen(s) available in the Digital Herbarium

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-165 Collected 2007-10-14 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 Eragrostis intermedia in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Eragrostis intermedia in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Eragrostis intermedia

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-01-25
Research By: TWC Staff

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