Eragrostis spectabilis Ornamental grass at Lovegrass Farm

Our Farm is named after this Genus.  I tried to pick a name that would be easy to remember.  We figured we'd get the usual teasing; "I'd like to smoke some of your Grass, Man!".  Since I've started this Blog I've Googled Lovegrass Farm only to find sights about Viagara and we've had a Fella from India joining our Blog because of the word Love in our heading, not that he was interested in Ornamental Grasses.  Gotta Love It!!  Eragrostis is new to us so I don't have many photos to share yet.



Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple lovegrass)

 Eragrostis (air-uh-GRAHSS-tiss) spectabilis (Purple lovegrass) is a warm season Native grass that is clump forming  but can spread slowly by rhizomes and low growing at 18" or 45 cm. tall with a spread of 2 - 3 ft. or 60 - 90 cm.  It has light green foliage in summer turning to a bronzy-red in fall.  Fluffy clouds of bronze-red inflorescences cover the entire plant and create a cloud of color from a distance that glows in early light or setting sun.  It is Breathtaking in sweeps or masses.  Purple lovegrass tolerates infertile, sandy and poor soils in full sun; good for coastal and dry sites.  It can self-seed.













Eragrostis trichodes (Sand lovegrass)

 Eragrostis trichodes or (Sand lovegrass) is the Big Sister of Eragrostis spectabilis growing up to 4 ft. or 1.2 m. tall.  It has looser light pink tinted flowers that bloom in July and early August.  Being very drought tolerant Sand lovegrass is becoming popular for use in mass plantings and water-wise gardens.  William Cullina recommends it in his book " Native Ferns Moss & Grasses"  as a hardy and long lived species that is near the top of his list of ornamental grasses.