A warm-season bunch grass with attractive reddish purple flowers that form in a loose, open inflorescence in July-August. The green foliage has mostly basal leaves that are coarse and flat. The flowers turn brown by October, and the seed heads may detach and form tumbleweeds at season’s end. Host to Zabulon skipper butterfly larvae.
Native Plant Database
Header Photo: Mervin Wallace
Purple Lovegrass
Eragrostis spectabilis
Plant Type: Grasses / Sedges / Rushes
Native Environment: Prairie, Savanna / Woodland
Season of Interest: Late (July - frost)
Main Color: Purple
Fall Color: Brown
USDA PLANTS Range Map
At the range map link above, zoom in for county-level data

Photo: James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Sun Exposure
Full Sun

Soil
Moisture
Dry, Moderate

Nature Attracting
Butterfly, Songbirds

Wildlife Benefit
Butterfly / Moth Host, Cover, Food/Birds, Food/Small Animals

Animal
Resistance
Size
Height:
12 to
24
inches
Spread:
12 to
24
inches
Size
Height: 12 to
24
inches
Spread: 12 to
24
inches
Size
Height: 12 to
24
inches
Spread: 12 to
24
inches
Typical Landscape Use
Good in borders or in small groups, and excellent for mass plantings where the hazy appearance of the reddish purple inflorescence can be used to great effect.
Establishment and Care Instructions
Plants like sandy or gravelly loams and hot, dry locations and can grow on infertile soils. Propagate in spring by seed or division (plants will also self-seed).
Special Features
Ornamental Fruits / Seed Pods / Seed Heads
Special Usage
Dried Flower
Basic Description
Where Should I Start?
Check out the Grow Native! Committee’s Top Ten picks of native plants for a particular purpose.
What’s the Next Step?
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Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?
Learn about the Native Environment(s) inhabited by the plants in this database.