Summer 2001

Prairie Dropseed
Highly conservative

Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) is a beautiful ‘clump’ grass found in high-quality prairies throughout the region. It is readily identified by its narrow long leaves, rarely wider than 1/8 inch, which spring from the soil and fall to the ground like a smooth waterfall. Dropseed leaves grow densely around a circular base. They vary in color from green to steely blue-gray, and grow up to three feet long.

Dropseed is a prominent contributor to the prairie palette in summer and fall. In autumn it displays its unique color, a golden rust that stands out from the season’s other reds and browns. July and August find prairie dropseed in bloom with small, humble white-tan flowers.

The name prairie dropseed reflects the species’s "ungrass-like" BB-size round seeds, to use local steward Dennis Nyberg’s phrase. The seeds are quite fragrant, and Native Americans used to ground them into a tasty flour. Naturalists say the scent, quite open to interpretation, most closely resembles buttered popcorn or, less surprisingly, sunflower seeds.

Prairie dropseed is often introduced early in the development of restoration sites, as it is a cornerstone of healthy prairie plant communities. Unlike other prairie grasses such as big bluestem and Indian grass, dropseed generally takes a long time — up to five years — to mature from seed. In response, many restoration projects use plants grown from seed in nurseries.

Dropseed favors moist to drier soils, is drought-resistant, and is not found in wetlands. Since prairie dropseed is one of the first plants to disappear from disturbed areas and is highly sensitive to grazing, Floyd Swink and Gerould Wilhelm’s Plants of the Chicago Region rates the grass as highly conservative.

Prairie dropseed is one of the most popular native species for local gardeners and landscapers. Dropseed makes for an excellent, distinct border when planted at two-foot intervals. According to local naturalist Pat Armstrong, new garden dropseed plantings require due attention. Seeds must be watered for their entire first growing season, and more mature transplants until they take root. Established garden dropseed, like many ornamental grasses, requires little attention — just cut off the dried grass (pretend you’re a prairie fire) once in late winter or early spring and enjoy the colors for the rest of the year. Plant prairie dropseed in full sun, as shaded dropseed slouches in a sort of lugubrious flop rather than the attractive proud fountain seen in thriving specimens.

— Michael Madison