Purple Lovegrass, Purple Love Grass, Purple Plains Lovegrass, Tumblegrass, Petticoat Climber, Spectacular Love Grass, Eragrostis spectabilis var. sparsihirsuta, Poa spectabilis
Adding a touch of romance to the late-season garden, Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple Love Grass) is a clump-forming, warm-season, perennial grass forming an airy cloud of small, red-purple flowers from late summer to mid-fall. The showy inflorescence, up to 15 in. long (37 cm) and 20 in. across (50 cm), seems to float above the dense tuft of flat, narrow, green leaves, 12 in. long (30 cm). It holds its pretty color for several weeks before fading to soft cream when the leaves turn reddish-purple. As the seeds mature, the inflorescence detaches from the plant in winter and disperses in the wind like tumbleweed to establish new colonies. Purple Love Grass spreads by seeds and short rhizomes. This fine-textured bunch-forming grass makes an attractive display when planted in groups in perennial borders, meadows, or open woodlands. It is also often used for erosion control on banks. The inflorescence is excellent for dried flower arrangements.
| Hardiness |
5 - 10 |
|---|---|
| Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Plant Type | Ornamental Grasses |
| Plant Family | Poaceae |
| Common names | Purple Love Grass |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer (Late), Fall |
| Height | 1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm) |
| Spread | 1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm) |
| Spacing | 24" - 30" (60cm - 80cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low, Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Dried Arrangements, Cut Flowers, Showy |
| Native Plants | United States, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado |
| Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Dry Soil |
| Garden Uses | Banks And Slopes, Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |
| Hardiness |
5 - 10 |
|---|---|
| Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Plant Type | Ornamental Grasses |
| Plant Family | Poaceae |
| Common names | Purple Love Grass |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer (Late), Fall |
| Height | 1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm) |
| Spread | 1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm) |
| Spacing | 24" - 30" (60cm - 80cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low, Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Dried Arrangements, Cut Flowers, Showy |
| Native Plants | United States, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado |
| Tolerance | Drought, Deer, Dry Soil |
| Garden Uses | Banks And Slopes, Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |
How many Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple Love Grass) do I need for my garden?
| Plant | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|
| Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple Love Grass) | N/A | Buy Plants |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
