Spike Dropseed
Sporobolus contractus
- Native to:
- Mexico, United States
John Rusk (www.flickr.com) from Berkeley, CA, United States of America
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Sporobolus
- Species:
- Sporobolus contractus
- USDA Symbol:
- SPCO4
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 100 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jul,aug,sep,oct
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from base after fire; typical of dropseed grasses adapted to periodic burning in grassland systems.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 8.0 (neutral to slightly alkaline)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to arid and semi-arid regions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily with warmth and light; no pretreatment typically required.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Mechanical injury of the caryopis or covering layers, pretreatment with potassium nitrate, and 28 days of cold moist stratification.
Establishment: Germination was greater in light than dark; and light was equal to dark. There is a conflicting temperature for germination, with one study suggesting 35D/20N C and another suggesting 30D/15.5N C.
Source: npn.rngr.net