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All native plants

A LITTLE MORE LIFE

Prairie dropseed

Sporobolus heterolepis

Native seeds feed sparrows and juncos, while foliage feeds prairie insects.

Tuft of golden grass.
Joshua Mayer · CC-BY-SA 2.0

MAKE IT FEEL AT HOME

A spot to thrive.

Slow to establish but long lived; use well-drained soil and leave the clump for winter texture.

Sunlight
Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry soil / Average moisture
Mature size
2–3 ft tall · 2–3 ft wide
Season of interest
Summer–Fall
Hardiness
USDA zones 3–9
Garden role
A fine-textured clumping grass
M. 'Adagio' form in bloomJim Janke · CC BY 4.0

ONE GOOD SWAP

Instead of maiden grass.

Miscanthus sinensis

Try prairie dropseed for a fine-textured clumping grass.

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NATIVE TO YOUR PLACE

Find it in your state guide.

Reviewed native coverage. Choose your state to see more alternatives.

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Dig a little deeper.

Plant profile & growing information Native range: Kew Find a native nursery
Photo credits & licenses

Prairie dropseed: Joshua Mayer · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Maiden grass: Jim Janke · CC BY 4.0

Resized, converted to WebP, and cropped in the layout. Each photo retains its listed license. All photo credits