Sand Dropseed

Sporobolus cryptandrus

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Poaceae
Genus:
Sporobolus
Species:
Sporobolus cryptandrus

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Graminoid
Height:
3-4 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
may, jun, jul, aug, sep, oct, nov
Bloom Colors:
Yellow

Native Range

United States: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan

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:
thrives in arid and semi-arid regions

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Scarification by rubbing seeds between two pieces of sandpaper approximately 15 times. Cold moist stratification for 28 days. Alternatively, warm stratification can be accomplished by subjecting seeds to 45°C/15°C conditions for 8 and 16 hours respectively for 15 days.

Establishment: Germination rates of untreated seed are extremely low - under 3%. Warm stratification should not exceed 15 days as this results in significant decreases in viability. Germination rates of scarified seeds are strongly correlated with the temperature at which planted seeds are kept. In some cases, stratification alone improved germination over the control, but in other cases it resulted in lower germination due to fungal growth.

Source: npn.rngr.net