Caribgrass
Eriochloa polystachya · Poaceae
Caribgrass (Eriochloa polystachya) is a perennial grass or grass-like plant in the Poaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 8 and warmer, down to about 18°F.
At a glance
| Type | graminoid USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 3 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–6.5 USDA |
| Bloom | June–August USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 8 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | herb-layer Derived |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It handles periodically wet ground (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance medium). It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 6.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 8.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 3 ft, making it roughly waist to chest height. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June through August.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 48 to 100 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 311 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed and sod. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its growth form is recorded as stoloniferous.
Role in a guild
Herb layer. In a layered planting this is the herbaceous middle — perennials and grasses that fill the space between ground cover and shrubs. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- pitted beardgrass Bothriochloa pertusa
- California oatgrass Danthonia californica
- Kleberg's bluestem Dichanthium annulatum
- needlegrass rush Juncus roemerianus
- crimson fountaingrass Pennisetum setaceum
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol ERPO3, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, Edible, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
Find more plants for your zone with the Plant Finder.