photo of Tripsacum dactyloides

Tripsacum dactyloides

Eastern Gamagrass

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Eastern Gamagrass is a warm-season bunchgrass, which displays purple female flowers and orange male flowers on the same plant (monoecious),...

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Description:

Eastern Gamagrass is a warm-season bunchgrass, which displays purple female flowers and orange male flowers on the same plant (monoecious), May-September. It is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus). Deer eat the seeds. Cut back Eastern Gamagrass to 8 inches in the winter, after the foliage has died back from frost. Use it in woodland gardens, perennial borders, meadows, or naturalized areas in your yard.

Plant Details:

Other Common Names: Gamma Grass, Fakahatchee Grass

Plant Type: Grass

New Jersey Native: Yes

Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer to Fall

Bloom Colors: Orange, Purple

Deer Resistance: Some

Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Butterflies, Birds

Salt Tolerance: Low to None

Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b

Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ

Soil Characteristics

Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Sandy, Clay

Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist

Soil pH: Acidic, Slightly Acidic, Neutral

Light Needs of Plant

Optimal Light: Full Sun

Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade

Water Needs of Plant

Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist

Drought Tolerance: Low

Size and Growth Rate

Height: 4 - 8 ft

Spread: 4 - 6 ft

Growth Rate: Fast