This variety is a warm season bunchgrass suited sandy, rocky sites that are hot and dry; soft reddish-purple flowers rise above the foliage in mid summer, turning brown by fall; clumps can be divided in spring
Ships as a Landscape-Ready Plug 6 Plant Minimum
Eragrostis spectabilis info from Missouri Botanical Garden
Common Name: purple lovegrass
Type: Ornamental grass
Family: Poaceae
Native Range: North America
Zone: 5 to 9
Height: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: July to August
Bloom Description: Soft reddish-purple
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy, Good Cut, Good Dried
Tolerate: Drought, Black Walnut, Air Pollution
Purple Love Grass (Eragrostis spectabilis)
Ornamental Features
Purple Lovegrass features showy plumes of plum purple flowers rising above the foliage from mid summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its grassy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.
Planting and Growing
Purple Lovegrass will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!