{"product_id":"prairie-dropseed-sporobolus-heterolepis","title":"Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) — Native Louisiana Prairie Grass","description":"\u003ch2\u003ePrairie Dropseed \u003cem\u003e(Sporobolus heterolepis)\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn warm August evenings, Prairie Dropseed announces itself before you see it — a fragrance of coriander and popcorn drifting across the garden on the evening air. This is one of the most elegant and fragrant native grasses of the North American prairie: a fine-textured, arching bunchgrass that forms perfect symmetrical mounds, blooms in airy pink-tinged clouds, and turns rich orange and gold in fall. A cornerstone species of the vanishing Cajun Prairie landscape of southwestern Louisiana.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGrown and shipped from Big Mamou Enterprises — Bayou Self, Lake Charles, Louisiana.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBotanical Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBotanical Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sporobolus heterolepis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Poaceae (Grass family)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e Central North America from Quebec to Texas; native to Louisiana's Cajun Prairie remnants and upland grasslands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–9\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 18–24 inches tall, 24–30 inches wide\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e August–September; fragrant seed heads persist into fall\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Well-drained to dry; tolerates clay, loam, and sandy soils; drought-tolerant once established — thrives in lean conditions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEcological Role\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrairie Dropseed seeds are consumed by sparrows, juncos, and other grassland birds. Its dense clumps provide nesting cover for ground-nesting birds and shelter for grassland invertebrates. A host plant for specialist prairie moths and a late-season nectar source for native bees. One of the most reliable indicators of remnant high-quality prairie habitat in North America — established clumps persist for decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eCajun Heritage \u0026amp; Cultural Use\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnown in Cajun tradition as \u003cem\u003eherbe fontaine\u003c\/em\u003e — fountain grass — for the fine-textured, arching foliage that cascades outward from the center like water from a spring. In August, when the airy seed heads float above the mound in a haze of pink-tinged cloud, it earns the name completely. In the traiteur tradition, Prairie Dropseed's value was understood as a plant that heals by being beautiful — creating a space the body and spirit want to inhabit. The environment of healing matters as much as the medicine administered within it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIn the Cajun Prairie Garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart of the \u003cem\u003ePrairie Movement Strip\u003c\/em\u003e collection at Big Mamou Enterprises. Plant in masses at the front of the border or as an edging grass where its precise mounding habit and fragrant seed heads can be appreciated up close. Slow to establish — give it two to three years before judging it. One of the most rewarding native grasses for the patient gardener.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Mamou Enterprises","offers":[{"title":"Small (4\" pot)","offer_id":49813873131760,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Medium (1 gallon)","offer_id":49813873164528,"sku":null,"price":34.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Large (3 gallon)","offer_id":49813873197296,"sku":null,"price":58.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0824\/7171\/5056\/files\/prairie-dropseed-sporobolus-heterolepis.png?v=1779903090","url":"https:\/\/realtimecajun.com\/products\/prairie-dropseed-sporobolus-heterolepis","provider":"Big Mamou Enterprises","version":"1.0","type":"link"}