Tripsacum floridanum
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Dwarf Fakahatchee Grass, Florida Gamagrass
Poaceae (Gramineae)
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Grass | |
| Size: | 2-3 ft tall by 2-3 ft wide | |
| Life Span: | Short-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | Green | |
| Phenology: | Evergreen. Clump forming. | |
| Noted for: | Showy flowers, Showy fruits, Interesting foliage |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Informal borders. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Considerations: | Can get messy after cold spells. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Seed or division of clumps. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Native nurseries, FNPS plant sales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Somewhat moist, no flooding ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Somewhat moist, no flooding ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Lime rock, Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | Neutral to alkaline | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
Seeds are eaten by birds. Provides cover for lizzards and other small animals. | |
| Insects: | Larval host for Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus). | |
| Native Habitats: | Pine rockland. Also cultivated. Dry sites. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 8A 8B 9A 9B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| General Comments: | Grows well well north of its native range. Documented in very southern counties with an outlier in Martin County -- that outlier is also unique in that it was collected near a cypress dome. Closely related to corn, this species has been crossed with maize to produce a corn that is resistant to Helminthosporium turcicum, the fungus that causes northern leaf blight (Wikipedia). Listed as Threatened in Florida. |