Sporobolus airoides - ALKALI SACATON
Incredibly versatile and adaptable native grass (from dry to moist, sun to very light shade).
Soft tufted structure, very long flowering season from June till fall (with the peak in early summer), slightly untidy look towards the end of the season.
We saw this grass at Roy Diblik's plantings in Wisconsin, where it's reliably and hardy.
Very tolerant to saline and alkaline soils (suitable for coastal areas).
Fast growing and long-lived, not demanding grass.
Blooming Time: June to October
Size: 4' high x 2’ wide
USDA Zones: 4 to 9
Culture: sun to half shade, average garden soil, loam, clay, drained soils (rocky soil, sandy soil, gritty). Will grow well in moist soil, if the soil is drained (gritty, sandy). Alkaline, neutral to acidic soil, very tolerant to alkaline and saline soils (good for coastal areas). Drought tolerant.
Moisture Needs: dry, medium-dry, medium, medium-moist
Origin: native grass to most of the western and central USA, Missouri, Georgia and state New York. Can be found in variety of natural habitats from semi-arid (nearly arid) to moist flood plains, open areas, in coastal areas, saline flats, sandy gravely slopes. Tolerant of seasonal flooding. It's wide natural range suggests that once this grass could be native to majority of the states. See the BONAP distribution map.
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes/yes - but young shoots can be browsed by the deer
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: no, but provides nesting material for insects
Attracts Hummingbirds: no
Pot Size: square 3.5" x 4" deep perennial pot
Plant combinations: naturalistic garden, native gardens, bird gardens, xeric garden (dry), coastal gardens, saline soils (salty), slopes, rosion control, prairie plantings, matrix plantings.
Due to it's very fine structure looks the best with more coarse perennials or grasses (which are majority of them), dakr seedheads, larger leaved-perennials, bigger blooms etc. For it's adaptability can be combined with majority of perennials and grasses. Good perennial companions can be native perennials like Artemisia, Agastache (‘Blue Fortune’ , A. nepetoides), Asclepias tuberosa, Baptisia, Callirhoe, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Eryngium, Hemerocallis, Irises, Paeonia, Rudbeckia, Penstemon, Pycnanthemum, Liatris, Silphium, etc etc.
Pictures copyright: US perennials (all pics taken at Northwind Perennial farm in Wisconsin at the early fall)
Sporobolus airoides - ALKALI SACATON
Incredibly versatile and adaptable native grass (from dry to moist, sun to very light shade).
Soft tufted structure, very long flowering season from June till fall (with the peak in early summer), slightly untidy look towards the end of the season.
We saw this grass at Roy Diblik's plantings in Wisconsin, where it's reliably and hardy.
Very tolerant to saline and alkaline soils (suitable for coastal areas).
Fast growing and long-lived, not demanding grass.
Blooming Time: June to October
Size: 4' high x 2’ wide
USDA Zones: 4 to 9
Culture: sun to half shade, average garden soil, loam, clay, drained soils (rocky soil, sandy soil, gritty). Will grow well in moist soil, if the soil is drained (gritty, sandy). Alkaline, neutral to acidic soil, very tolerant to alkaline and saline soils (good for coastal areas). Drought tolerant.
Moisture Needs: dry, medium-dry, medium, medium-moist
Origin: native grass to most of the western and central USA, Missouri, Georgia and state New York. Can be found in variety of natural habitats from semi-arid (nearly arid) to moist flood plains, open areas, in coastal areas, saline flats, sandy gravely slopes. Tolerant of seasonal flooding. It's wide natural range suggests that once this grass could be native to majority of the states. See the BONAP distribution map.
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes/yes - but young shoots can be browsed by the deer
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: no, but provides nesting material for insects
Attracts Hummingbirds: no
Pot Size: square 3.5" x 4" deep perennial pot
Plant combinations: naturalistic garden, native gardens, bird gardens, xeric garden (dry), coastal gardens, saline soils (salty), slopes, rosion control, prairie plantings, matrix plantings.
Due to it's very fine structure looks the best with more coarse perennials or grasses (which are majority of them), dakr seedheads, larger leaved-perennials, bigger blooms etc. For it's adaptability can be combined with majority of perennials and grasses. Good perennial companions can be native perennials like Artemisia, Agastache (‘Blue Fortune’ , A. nepetoides), Asclepias tuberosa, Baptisia, Callirhoe, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Eryngium, Hemerocallis, Irises, Paeonia, Rudbeckia, Penstemon, Pycnanthemum, Liatris, Silphium, etc etc.
Pictures copyright: US perennials (all pics taken at Northwind Perennial farm in Wisconsin at the early fall)