eastern gamagrass
Tripsacum dactyloides
USDA zones4 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size4 to 8 feet tall4 to 6 feet wide
- Habit
- Grass/grass-like
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Purple (female) and orange (male)
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) is a grass for rain gardens, meadows, and naturalized areas. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and dry to wet soil of most types. It grows large and stately, so give it plenty of room. Cut it back in winter, but take care because the leaf edges are sharp. Deer rarely make it their first choice.
Pairs well with Big bluestem, Blue wild indigo, and River birch.
Native range
Eastern and central United States.