Hesperostipa spartea
Common name: Porcupine Grass
A very graceful but not all that visible grass of dry prairies. Look for it to do best on sandy or gravel sites throughout the area and gardens with the same soils. The cool thing about this grass are the seeds. They look like porcupine quills and once picked will actually screw themselves into the soils. This is no joke. Take a seed and stick the pointy end into a styrofoam cup and leave it over night and you’ll see.
Photos
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Plant Details
Plant type
Grasses, Sedges and Rushes
Soil type
Dry, Dry Mesic
Light exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun / Part Shade
Bloom period
Spring
Urban environment
Uncompacted Urban Soils
Habitat
Prairie Grasslands
Growth form
Shrubby/Clump
Growth rate
Slow
Flower color
N/A
Fall color
Golden
Size
- Mature height
- 3 Feet
- Mature width
- 1 Inches
- Max height
- 4 Feet
- Max width
- 1 Inches