Product Description
Cultivar of prairie dropseed with shorter and upright shape, tight ad uniform. Rust-red fall color.
Introduced by famous nursery man and designer Roy Diblik from Northwind nursery, Wisconsin.
1' tall and wide (2' with flowers), grows in more upright vase-shape and then opens up some with the flowers.
Warm season grass = the growth happen in warmer part of the season. Fragrant flowers from mid summer till frosts. If planted in masses, the fragrance is noticeble even in longer distances.
Best in full sun and average to dry soil. Is bit slow to establish, slower than the species, but is pretty long-living, and will thrive in poor, dry, gravelly, or shallow soil, and it can be useful for controlling soil erosion.
Excellent for urban landscaping - it will tolerate extreme temperatures and disturbed urban soils in traffic islands, big city containers, green roofs, but looks perfect in any planting.
Hardy in zones 3 to 9.
The species is native to central USA, upper Midwest and bigger part of Canada, see the USDA distribution map.
Drought and black walnut tolerant.
It will attract garsshoppers, leafhoppers. The seeds are eaten by songbirds from late summer into winter (Field Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, and Slate-Colored Junco). Provides nesting material for native bees (Xerxes).
Pairs well with Asclepias tuberosa, Aster (A. oblongifolius, Aster laevis, Aster novi-angliae), Baptisia, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Penstemon, Sedum telephium, Schizachyrium scoparium and many other perennials.
'Tara' can be seen fr example in Lurie Garden in Chicago or other public gardens and botanic gardens.
Pot Size : square 3.5" x 5" deep pot
Pictures copyright : US Perennial nursery