Prairie Dropseed

Sporobolus heterolepis

rounded green and yellow prairie dropseed bush
“Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)” by Joshua Mayer, via Flickr. (cropped from original) CC BY-SA 2.0.
prairie dropseed plant with tufts
“Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)” by Brett Whaley, via Flickr. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Ecological Benefits: Drought-tolerant, provides materials/habitat for bees nesting

Bloom period: summer

Best Areas for Planting: low moisture, full sun; dry, sandy soils

Natural Habitat: can be found in dry prairies

Most of the species information is from The Virginia Native Plant Society website, which offers free, extensive pdfs for each region of Virginia, highlighting about 100 native species (there are many more!) and helpful additional information for planning personal projects. If you aren’t from Virginia, you can search for similar resources in your state! To explore other resources and advice, navigate to the guidance page.

Visit the homepage to explore other sites and learn more about native plants.