Loving That Purple Love Grass
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Collapse ▲Has that tough spot in your landscape been bugging you lately? You know, that area that stays so hot and dry that nothing seems to want to be there, least of all you at the business end of a water hose. Wouldn’t you love to stop torturing those poor plants you have tried to grow there time after time, and yourself? Well, purple love grass may just be what you have been looking for.
Purple love grass, Eragrostis spectabilis, is a warm-season ornamental grass native to central and eastern North America. It is found in sandy or rocky soils and in woodland sites and does particularly well in hot, sunny locations. Once established, it is tolerant of dry conditions. Its slow spreading underground rhizomes help stabilize the soil making it a good choice for areas prone to erosion.
This low growing plant only reaches about two feet tall. Airy plumes develop above the grassy clump in late summer and seeds begin to form. The reddish-purple blooms are attractive to insects who drink the dew that can collect on the flowers in the fall. The seeds are an important food source for small mammals and birds, including song birds and can be dispersed by them and by the wind into other areas. The dense foliage offers protection for ground-nesting birds, and many parts of the plant can be used for nesting materials for both birds and bees.
Plant purple love grass in spring or fall to help ensure the root system can withstand the onset of summer heat or winter cold. It can be used in borders, as an accent plant or in mass plantings where it really stands out. It can soften a harsh
landscape or be planted on slopes and other difficult areas. Consider choosing a site where the blooms can be backlit by the rays of the setting sun of an evening or catch the first glimpse of light in the morning dew. Though the plant becomes dormant in winter, it can bring interest to the garden when covered by the first frost. The plumes are often used to add a textural element to dried floral arrangements.
To locate a source of purple love grass or other native plants, visit the websites of the NCSU Plant Toolbox, North Carolina Botanical Garden, the N.C. Forest Service, the North Carolina Native Plant Society or your local Extension office.
Purple love grass may go by a delicate name, but it is one tough cookie and you may just end up loving it!
Check out the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Lee County’s Lee Regional Fair Booth in 2025 to learn more about other great native plants.
Gail Griffin is an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer for North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Lee County.