seashore dropseed
Sporobolus virginicus · Poaceae
seashore dropseed (Sporobolus virginicus) 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 17°F.
At a glance
| Type | graminoid USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 2 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | low USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–8 USDA |
| Bloom | June–August USDA |
| Flower color | Brown USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 8 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | herb-layer 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 grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having low water needs once established. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It handles periodically wet ground (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance medium). It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 8.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 2 ft, making it about knee height. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June through August. Flowers are brown.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, medium in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. Its active growth period is year round. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 20 to 40 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 18 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from container stock and sprigs. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It spreads vegetatively at a moderate rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated medium. Its growth form is recorded as rhizomatous.
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
Others in Sporobolus
- alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides
- composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus
- sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus
- mesa dropseed Sporobolus flexuosus
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 SPVI3, 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, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, 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, 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.
Find more plants for your zone with the Plant Finder.