Tripsacum dactyloides

eastern gamagrass, Fakahatchee grass

Poaceae (Gramineae)

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Plant Specifics

Form: grass

Life Span: long-lived perennial

Size: Height: 4 to 6 ft Width: 2 to 4 ft

Flower Color:

yellow,orange,red

Fruit Color:

yellow,brown

Phenology: evergreen

Noted for: Showy flowers, showy fruits

Landscaping

Recommended Uses: Hedge, individual large grass clump, background screen for a flower garden.

Considerations: Can die back and become messy during cold winters.

Propagation: Readily self-seeds, seeds are easily collected by bagging the seed heads once the delicate flowers have been pollinated and drop off.

Availability: Quality nurseries, Native nurseries, FNPS plant sales, Seed

Light:

Moisture Tolerance:

Salt Tolerance: Highly salt tolerant

Soil or other substrate: Sand, loam

Soil pH Range: 5.1 to 7.5

Ecology

Wildlife:

Larval host for Three-spotted Skipper (Cymaenes tripunctus), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius) and Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus) Even when trimmed occasionally, Gama Grass will return to the tent-like bunch which is excellent cover for small mammals, birds, and reptiles. Deer eat the hard, yellow, corn-like seed produced by this grass.

Native Habitats: Wet bogs, roadsides, ditches, wet hammocks, river banks, low thickets, pine woods, open swamps, open habitats, flatwoods, sandhill, scrub. Also cultivated.