ovate spikerush
Eleocharis ovata · Cyperaceae
ovate spikerush (Eleocharis ovata) is a annual grass or grass-like plant in the Cyperaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 11 and warmer, down to about 47°F.
At a glance
| Type | graminoid USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | annual USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 1.5 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 4.6–6.8 USDA |
| Bloom | August–September USDA |
| Flower color | Green USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 11 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | ground-cover Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
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. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated none — it needs reliable moisture. It tolerates saturated, poorly drained ground well (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance high). It is recorded on soils from pH 4.6 to 6.8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 11.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 1.5 ft, making it about knee height. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of August through September. Flowers are green.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. Its active growth period is summer and fall.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 32 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 90 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 6 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed, bare root and sprigs. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated high. Its growth form is recorded as bunch.
Role in a guild
Ground cover. In a layered planting this is the lowest layer — it shades soil, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Eleocharis
- needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis
- Gulf Coast spikerush Eleocharis cellulosa
- flatstem spikerush Eleocharis compressa
- jointed spikesedge Eleocharis equisetoides
Similar role and hardiness
- tinker's penny Hypericum anagalloides
- toad rush Juncus bufonius
- annual bluegrass Poa annua
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol ELOV, 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, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage porosity winter, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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