Native Plants
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.
Aristida stricta
Aristida stricta Michx.
Pineland Threeawn, Wiregrass
Poaceae (Grass Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: arst5
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
This wiry, clumping grass grows from 2 - 4 feet tall and is the principal grass found in Southeastern Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) savannahs from Mississippi eastward. It is fire-dependent, setting seed only after being burned. In the garden, it maintains a tidy shape.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Retention: Semi-evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Linear
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Inflorescence: Spike
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: Up to about 4 feet tall.
Leaf: Dark green
Fruit: Yellow. Fruits produced only after autumn fires.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: BrownBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct
Distribution
USA: AL , FL , GA , MS , NC , SCNative Distribution: North Carolina to Mississippi.
Native Habitat: Sandy areas, pine savanna, moist prairies, and coastal plains. The predominant grass in Longleaf Pine Savanna.
Growing Conditions
Water Use: Low , MediumLight Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8)
Drought Tolerance: Low , Medium
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Highly acidic, poor, sandy, pineland soils.
Conditions Comments: Typically grows in fast-draining sands of pinelands, but can tolerate seasonal flooding.
Benefit
Use Ornamental: A tidy, well-behaved clumping grass for Southeastern gardens.Use Wildlife: Bachman's Sparrows eat the seeds. Deer browse the leaves.
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Birds
Deer Resistant: No
Propagation
Propagation Material: Root Division , SeedsSeed Collection: Seeds produced only after autumn fires, so can only be collected after this happens.
Maintenance: Requires periodic fall burns to produce seed.
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FAC | FAC |
Bibliography
Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. WasowskiSearch More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic BotanyWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Aristida stricta in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Aristida stricta in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Aristida stricta
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-11-23Research By: