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Prairie Dropseed Grass

Sporobolus heterolepis

Regular price $5885
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Plant Size

Planting & Care

Where to Plant

  • Sunlight: Provide at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun daily for the best results. While it can tolerate light afternoon shade, the foliage may lose its crisp, mounded shape and lean toward the light if it does not get enough sun.
  • Soil: It prefers well-drained soil but is incredibly adaptable to heavy clay or rocky ground. If you have very compacted soil, mix in a bit of compost to improve aeration and prevent the roots from staying too wet during the winter.

Watering Requirements

During the first year, water your grass deeply twice a week to help its extensive root system get established. Once it is mature, Prairie Dropseed is very drought tolerant and usually only needs extra water during prolonged dry spells. If you neglect watering during the establishment phase, the plant will grow much slower and may not develop its signature airy seed heads.

Pruning Tips

Since this is a warm-season grass that blooms on new growth, you should cut it back in late winter or very early spring. Trim the entire clump down to about 3 inches above the ground before the green shoots start to poke through. This annual haircut removes the dead winter foliage and allows the sun to warm the crown of the plant for faster spring growth.

Fertilizer Needs

Apply a light, balanced fertilizer once in the early spring as new growth begins to appear. Avoid using high-nitrogen fertilizers, as these can cause the grass to grow too quickly and become floppy rather than maintaining its neat, arching form. This plant is naturally efficient, so over-feeding it actually does more harm than good to its structural integrity.

Delivery and Shipping

Preorder Shipping Schedule

We ship your plants when it's safe to transport them to your zone. Dates are estimated and subject to weather delays.

Zone 3-4 Week of March 30th
Zone 5 Week of March 16th
Zone 6 Week of March 2nd
Zone 7-12 Week of February 23rd


Shipping Rates

Ships in 3-4 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected

Under $50 $9.99
$50 - $99.99 $14.99
$100 - $149.99 $16.99
$150 - $198.99 $24.99
$199+ FREE

✓ Zone-specific timing • ✓ Professional packaging • ✓ Health guarantee

Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) is a fantastically hardy native Ornamental Grass that features fine-textured, arching foliage of vibrant green! Like green mist floating over the ground, the airy clumps transition to golden yellow for fall. A hardy native prairie grass, Dropseed is heat and cold-hardy throughout USDA growing zones 3 to 9!

You'll enjoy the pink-tinted, tan seedheads that possess a subtle fragrance that's unmistakable and very unusual for Ornamental grass! And you'll love the way the foliage gently dips as the seeds ripen.

Deer and drought-resistant, Dropseed grasses are incredibly adaptable and hardy, even thriving in a wide range of climates. Growing only 2-3 feet in height when in bloom, the airy mounds of greenery can spread 18-24 inches wide.

Planting and Application:

Use this hardy grass en masse in rows, fine-textured groupings, in drifts to fill large swaths of sunny ground in low-maintenance greenery, or in out-of-the-way, back-of-the-property swaths as a lawn alternative that only needs to be mowed a couple of times of the year! Create naturalized, small-scale prairie installations or wildflower gardens where wildlife, beneficial insects, and birds can roam freely while saving you time, money, and energy!

As equally at home in more modern and formal plantings, this airy Ornamental grass looks great as filler throughout the cottage and rock gardens, as edging along the front edges of your perennial and walkway gardens! Small enough and tough enough to stand up in the hell strip along a driveway, road, and sidewalk and look good doing it!

  • Airy Mist-Like Native Prairie Grass
  • Green Fine-Texture
  • Great Lawn Alternative
  • Lovely Pinkish Seedheads
  • Highly Adaptable Hardy Warm-Season Grass
  • Sun Garden Edging, En Masse & Versatile Landscape Use

#ProPlantTips for Care

Prairie Dropseed grass needs the full sun to do its best. Adaptable to nearly any well-drained soil, these are xeric, drought-tolerant, and low-water usage plants once established. Just provide regular moisture while new installations are getting settled in their first growing season. Only needing pruned or mowed down once a year in early spring, you can divide clumps every 3-5 years to maintain their vigor. Be patient with warm-season grasses because they take their sweet time getting going in the spring, but then shine through the heat and sun of the summer and fall!

  • Full Sun
  • Any Well-Drained Soil Type
  • Low Water Needs Once Established
  • Hardy & Easy Care!
  • Prune Back in Early Spring

A favorite of the native prairie grasses, Prairie Dropseed will soon be a favorite of yours as well! Order this low-maintenance Ornamental Grass today from NatureHills.com!

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