Prairie dropseed 'Tara'
Sporobolus heterolepis 'Tara' · Poaceae
A dwarf, more upright prairie dropseed: stiff, fine, emerald leaves and a haze of scented flower heads, turning orange-red in autumn.
- Size
- 24 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Early August to mid September
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around prairie dropseed 'Tara'
The planner designed this bed around prairie dropseed 'Tara' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) contemporary bed in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 715 that suit those conditions and its dry soil, and says below why prairie dropseed 'Tara' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Prairie dropseed 'Tara' × 3, tan
- 2 Common thyme × 3, lavender
- 3 Yellow ice plant × 5, yellow
- 4 Hyssop 'Blue Boa' × 3, purple
- 5 Italian bugloss 'Dropmore' × 8, blue
- 6 Silver sage × 1, silver leaves
- 7 Ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' × 3, purple
Why this plant
- The bed's only structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down, and it is the only one here.
- The only tan. Tan sits between stronger colours and calms them.
Why here
- In the middle. At 24 in it is the step between common thyme (10 in) in front and Italian bugloss 'Dropmore' (4 ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
- Fine leaf against bold. Silver sage is beside it: the strongest contrast of leaf there is.
Why now
- In flower for 7 weeks. From early August to mid September.
- In company. With hyssop 'Blue Boa' in early August: 2 kinds at once.
- Stands through winter. Left uncut, it holds its shape until March, when the perennials have gone.
Planned as a contemporary bed: 22 of the 22 plants that stand in groups (100%) are set out in a pattern with their neighbours: a straight row, a triangle, or five like the five on a dice. The flowering is at its height from late May, with 4 kinds out together. The back corners are held by hyssop 'Blue Boa' and Italian bugloss 'Dropmore', the tallest plants on the plan.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 4 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where prairie dropseed 'Tara' goes in a border
At 24 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in). It is airy enough to see through, so it can also come forward and veil what is behind it.
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
It has the texture and coriander scent of the species in a smaller, tidier form that stands up straight. Named by Roy Diblik for its place of discovery in Wisconsin.
- Fine texture at the front
- Small prairie gardens
- Autumn colour
What to plant with prairie dropseed 'Tara'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Purple coneflower: in flower together for five weeks, from early August.
- Butterfly weed: happy in the same dry soil.
- Calamint: in flower together for seven weeks, from early August.
Questions about prairie dropseed 'Tara'
Does prairie dropseed 'Tara' need sun or shade?
Prairie dropseed 'Tara' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).
It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does prairie dropseed 'Tara' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does prairie dropseed 'Tara' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early August to mid September. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 3 | Mid August to mid September |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Mid August to mid September |
| Zone 5 | Early August to mid September |
| Zone 6 | Early August to mid September |
| Zone 7 | Early August to mid September |
| Zone 8 | Early August to mid September |
| Zone 9 | Late July to mid September |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should prairie dropseed 'Tara' be planted?
16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 24 in (60 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many prairie dropseed 'Tara' plants do I need?
At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 21 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is prairie dropseed 'Tara' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat prairie dropseed 'Tara'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What flowers after prairie dropseed 'Tara'?
Prairie dropseed 'Tara' is over by mid September. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
- October daphne: from mid September to late October, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Meadow saffron: from mid September to mid October, 6 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does prairie dropseed 'Tara' look like in winter?
Prairie dropseed 'Tara' turns the colour of straw and, left uncut, stands through the winter, with seed for the birds. Cut it down in late winter, before the new shoots come up.
Is prairie dropseed 'Tara' good for bees and butterflies?
Prairie dropseed 'Tara' is visited by songbirds.
It is native to the United States and Canada (this is a named variety of the native plant).
More Sporobolus
- Prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis
In these guides
- Plants that grow near black walnut
- Plants for slopes and banks
- Plants you can walk on
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Garden plants native to Canada
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Ornamental grasses under 3 feet
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Grass
- Size
- 24 in (60 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 16 in (40 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front, or further forward: it is airy enough to see through
- Flowers
- Early August to mid September; airy sprays; tan, pink
- Leaves
- Fine texture, herbaceous; green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Lean, dry and sharply drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Poaceae
- Comes from
- Canada to U.S.A
- Attracts
- Songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, drought, black walnut, pollution, erosion, foot traffic
Checked against NC State Extension and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.