Prairie dropseed

* Common name: Prairie dropseed

Prairie dropseed.

* Botanical name: Sporobolus heterolepis* What it is: A clump-forming native ornamental grass with fine, narrow blades, an arching habit and showy orange-yellow fall foliage. Also gets pinkish seed heads late summer to early fall on stems that rise 18 inches from the foliage. Some growth from seeds, but not invasively so.

* Size: 18 inches tall, plant 2 feet apart, seed stalks add another 18 inches of height.

* Where to use: Good sunny groundcover and a low-care alternative to turfgrass. Also looks good massed along a border or mixed in for texture and fall color in a perennial garden. Full sun to light shade. Does well in rocky, dry soil.

* Care: Cut to a stub in March (or any time over winter). Once established, no water or fertilizer needed. If clumps spread where you don’t want them, dig up and divide… fist-sized pieces transplant easily.

* Great partner: Red or golden mums or perennial sunflowers.

— George Weigel