Common Name: lovegrass
Type: Ornamental grass
Family: Poaceae
Zone: 6 to 9
Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: July to October
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Other: Winter Interest
Tolerate: Drought, Erosion, Dry Soil, Black Walnut, Urban Conditions
Culture
Best grown in organically rich, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Plants do particularly well in sandy soils. Established plants have some drought tolerance. Cut back foliage to the ground in late winter to early spring. Plants will self-seed in optimum growing conditions. Propagate by division in early spring.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Eragrostis elliottii, commonly known as field lovegrass or Elliott's lovegrass, is native to open woodlands, pine savannas, wet prairies, and brackish marsh edges in the southern Coastal Plains region of the United States, from North Carolina south through Florida and west through Texas. It is a fine-textured, warm season grass that grows to 3’ tall and is noted for its blue-green foliage and fluffy white flowers. White flower panicles appear in summer, turn tan by late summer as the seed ripens and finally lighten to straw hues in autumn.
Genus name comes from the Greek words eros meaning love and agrostis meaning grass.
Specific epithet presumably honors botanist Stephen Elliott (1771-1830) from Charleston, South Carolina.
‘Wind Dancer’ features narrow (1/4” wide) blue-green leaves.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Mature clumps sometimes tend to sprawl or droop.
Uses
Good specimen accent. Group or mass in native plant areas or meadows where it can naturalize. Also effective when grown in large containers.