Sweet Tanglehead
Heteropogon melanocarpus
- Native to:
- Angola, Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, El Salvador, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Gambia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Heteropogon
- Species:
- Heteropogon melanocarpus
- USDA Symbol:
- HEME
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 200 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jul,aug,sep,oct
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Warm-season grass that resprouts vigorously after fire; fire removes accumulated thatch and stimulates new growth.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy to loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- thrives in open grasslands and savannas