Purple lovegrass

Sun

Full sun; flowering is weaker and growth looser in partial shade.

Water

Low once established. Water young plants regularly through their first growing season, then mainly during prolonged drought.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly or loamy soil. Tolerates poor, dry ground but dislikes persistent winter wet.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m), including flower heads

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m), gradually wider through short rhizomes and seedlings

Flowers

Late summer to early autumn; loose clouds of reddish-purple flowers fade to pale tan as the seed ripens.

Foliage

Narrow, flat green leaves form low clumps, often taking on bronze or reddish tones in autumn before turning straw-coloured.

Growth

Moderate; slow to start in spring, with most growth in warm weather.

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.1 ft (0.35 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.2 ft (0.38 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.4 ft (0.41 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.5 ft (0.44 m)

5. After 5 years

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US and Canada

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant in spring once the soil warms, spacing plants about 1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) apart.
• Water deeply during establishment, allowing the soil surface to dry between waterings.
• Avoid routine feeding; rich soil and excess fertiliser encourage floppy growth.
• Keep the crown clear of thick organic mulch, especially where winters are wet.
• Divide crowded clumps in spring as new growth starts.
• Remove unwanted seedlings while small, or cut off seed heads before they disperse.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, cut the old leaves and stems back to about 2-3 in (5-8 cm), before fresh growth appears. Leave the dry flower heads standing through winter if you want their texture and seed for birds.

Late winter

Cut back dry stems and foliage before new shoots emerge.

Spring

Plant or divide once the soil warms and active growth begins.

Early summer

Weed around young clumps and water new plantings during dry spells.

Late summer

Enjoy the purple flower haze; avoid extra fertiliser or unnecessary watering.

Autumn

Remove seed heads before they loosen if self-seeding is unwanted; otherwise leave them for birds and winter texture.

• Plant in broad drifts near the front of a sunny border to create a low, transparent purple haze.
• Mix with butterfly weed, coneflowers and little bluestem in a dry meadow-style planting.
• Use beside gravel paths, where the fine flower heads soften hard edges without hiding the route.
• Place where low morning or evening light shines through the flower heads.

Garden styles it suits: Native meadow, New perennial (prairie), Dry gravel garden, Low-maintenance, Wildlife garden and Midwest prairie.

Plant it with: Butterfly weed, Purple coneflower, Little bluestem, Lanceleaf coreopsis, Aromatic aster and Blazing star.

Wildlife: Small seed-eating birds use the ripe seed, and clumps provide shelter for insects. Its wind-pollinated flowers are not a nectar source for bees or butterflies.

• Crown or root rot in waterlogged ground: improve drainage or move the plant to a raised, freely draining site.
• Floppy growth or poor flowering: provide full sun and stop feeding with nitrogen-rich fertilisers.
• Unwanted seedlings and gradual spreading: pull seedlings promptly, edge expanding clumps and remove seed heads before dispersal.
• Little growth in early spring: this warm-season grass starts late; wait for sustained warmth before deciding that a clump has died.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses; no part is recognised as poisonous. As with other grasses, dry stems and seed heads can cause mechanical irritation if chewed or lodged in the mouth.

• Pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

  Usually forms a taller, larger mound with much finer, wiry leaves and a pink cloud held higher above the foliage. Purple lovegrass has flatter, broader leaves and lower, more spreading flower heads.

• Weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula)

  Forms much larger tussocks with long, narrow, strongly arching leaves. Its flower heads are generally taller and less vividly purple than those of purple lovegrass.

Eragrostis is traditionally interpreted as Greek for 'love grass', while spectabilis means 'showy', referring to the conspicuous flower heads.

Propagation. Divide clumps in spring as growth begins, keeping roots and growing shoots on each piece. Sow seed shallowly in spring in warm conditions; plants may also self-seed, and ripe flower heads can detach and blow across the ground.

Accepted botanical name

Eragrostis spectabilis

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states. Introduced in Canada.

Native range

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Kansas.

Measured

Soil pH 4 to 7.5. Average height 23 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.