Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

eastern gamagrass, Fakahatchee grass

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Tripsacum dactyloides

Family:

Poaceae (Gramineae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

grass

Size:

4 to 6 ft tall by 2 to 4 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow,orange,red

Fruit Color:

yellow,brown

Phenology:

Evergreen. Clump-forming. Blooms spring-fall.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Hedge, foundation planting, individual large grass clump, background screen for a flower garden. Rain garden or bioswale.

Considerations:

Can die back and become messy during cold winters, but new growth covers it in the spring.

Availability:

Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

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

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

5.1 to 7.5

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B

Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Larval host for three-spotted skipper ( Cymaenes tripunctus ), clouded skipper ( Lerema accius ) and Byssusskipper ( Problema byssus ) (Minno and Minno, 1999).

 Even when trimmed occasionally, Gama Grass will provide cover for small mammals, birds, and reptiles. Deer eat the seeds.

Native Habitats:

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

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

In a managed garden, gamagrass can be trimmed back at the end of winter.