prairie dropseed

(Sporobolus heterolepis)

Conservation Status
prairie dropseed
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

UPL - Obligate upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Prairie dropseed is a bunch-forming grass. It has fine-textured leaves, up to 20 long and wide, that arch gracerfully forming a rounded bunch up to 15 tall and 18 wide. It retains its shape in the winter.

Unlike other grasses, the flower heads produce a pleasant scent.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

24 to 48

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Dry to moderately moist prairies. Sandy, loamy soil.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

August to September

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 30.

 
  10/21/2021      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

 

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)  
  Class Liliopsida (monocots)  
 

Order

Poales (grasses, sedges, cattails, and allies)  
 

Family

Poaceae (grasses)  
  No Rank PACMAD clade  
  Subfamily Panicoideae (bristlegrasses, bluestems, paspalums, and allies)  
  Tribe Andropogoneae  
  Subtribe Sporobolinae  
 

Genus

Sporobolus (dropseeds)  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Agrostis heterolepis

Vilfa heterolepis

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

northern dropseed

prairie dropseed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Nancy Falkum

 
 

Prairie Dropseed

 
    prairie dropseed   prairie dropseed  
           
    prairie dropseed      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Bunch

 
    prairie dropseed   prairie dropseed  
           
 

Leaves

 
    prairie dropseed      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 

Prairie Dropseed Time Lapse
salbert

   
 
About

Uploaded on Nov 19, 2006

REPLACED - SEE NEWER, SHORTER VERSION WITH SURPRISE ENDING. This series of still photos documents the growth of an Illnois native Prairie Dropseed plant in our front garden. The photos were taken during the 2006 growing season in Naperville, Illinois.

 

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
 

Prairie Dropseed - A Fragrant Ornamental Grass
UIExtension

 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Oct 19, 2009

Prairie Dropseed is a native prairie grass that makes a nice, fragrant addition to the perennial border. for more information about ornamental grasses in the garden, please visit http://urbanext.illinois.edu/grasses/

   
 

Spring Prairie Dropseed Burn at Ion Exchange
Ionxchange

 
   
 
About

Published on May 12, 2013

Earthyman shows Spring Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) burn at Ion Exchange Native Seed and Plant Nursery in NE Iowa, This is a beautiful native grass to add to your prairie planting or perennial garden. http://www.ionxchange.com

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this plant.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Nancy Falkum
9/18/2021

Location: Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Weaver Dunes Unit

prairie blue-eyed grass  
  Nancy Falkum
6/5/2021

Location: Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Weaver Dunes Unit

prairie blue-eyed grass  
  Nancy Falkum
5/2/2021

Location: Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Weaver Dunes Unit

prairie blue-eyed grass  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Agassiz Dunes SNA (MN DNR)

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park

Blanket Flower Prairie SNA

Blue Mounds State Park

Buffalo River State Park

Bunker Hills Regional Park

Butternut Valley Prairie SNA

Carver Park Reserve

Chippewa Prairie

Compass Prairie SNA

Des Moines River SNA

Dodge Nature Center

Felton Prairie SNA, Bicentennial Unit

Foxhome Prairie

Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

Frontenac State Park

Glynn Prairie SNA

Hastings Sand Coulee SNA

Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie

Hythecker Prairie SNA

Iron Horse Prairie SNA

Jensen Memorial WMA

Joseph A. Tauer Prairie SNA

Kasota Prairie SNA

Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Kellogg Weaver Unit

Kettledrummer Prairie

Lake Elmo Park Reserve

Leif Mountain

Lost Valley Prairie SNA

Malmberg Prairie SNA

Margherita Preserve-Audubon Prairie

Miller Prairie, West Unit

Minneopa State Park

Mound Spring Prairie SNA, South Unit

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Rengstorf Unit

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Spieker Unit

Oronoco Prairie SNA

Osmundson Prairie SNA

Otter Tail Prairie SNA

Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo

Pembina Trail Preserve SNA, Crookston Prairie Unit

Plover Prairie, East Unit

Prairie Coteau SNA

Prairie Creek WMA, Koester Prairie Unit

Quarry Park SNA

Red Rock Prairie

Regal Meadow

Rice Lake Savanna SNA

River Terrace Prairie SNA

Rock Ridge Prairie SNA

Roscoe Prairie SNA

St. Croix Savanna SNA

Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area

Sandpiper Prairie SNA

Santee Prairie SNA

Savage Fen SNA

Schaefer Prairie

Sedan Brook SNA

Seven Sisters Prairie

Sheepberry Fen

Spring Creek Prairie SNA

Spring Lake Park Reserve

Spring Prairie Preserve

Springbrook Nature Center

Staffanson Prairie

Swedes Forest SNA

Thorson Prairie WMA

Tiedemann WMA

Town Hall Prairie

Tribute WMA

Twin Valley Prairie SNA

Uncas Dunes SNA

Vermillion River WMA

Whitetail Woods Regional Park

Wild Indigo SNA

Wild River State Park

Woodbury WMA

Yellow Bank Hills SNA

 

 

 

Binoculars

 

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