Nassella pulchra
Purple Needlegrass
Description
This perennial grass has deep green leaves reaches 3' tall and wide. Airy flowers and purple seedheads appear in spring. This grass tolerates full to part sun and clay soil. Foliage goes dormant in summer and then comes back when weather cools down. Nasella pulchra is used for restoring natural meadows, stabilizing soil and revegetation. This grass tolerates drought as well as wet conditions.
Maintenance Tips
Nassella pulchra is a very fine textured native grass that can grow up to 3' tall and wide. This is very drought tolerant and thrives in just about any place in any garden. It requires almost no maintenance, but it is common to cut it back very hard in the winter to prune off the old spent flowers. This species is self-seeding, which can be a problem in a designed garden. If you are using it around other plants, you may want to apply a pre-emergent to keep the seeds from germinating.
Plant Type
Grass
Height Range
1-3'
Flower Color
Purple
Flower Season
Spring
Leaf Color
Green
Bark Color
n/a
Fruit Color
n/a
Fruit Season
n/a
Sun
Full, Half
Water
Very Low
Growth Rate
Fast
Soil Type
Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular
Soil Condition
Well-drained, Moist, Dry
Soil pH
Acid, Neutral, Basic
Adverse Factors
Invasive
Design Styles
Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Seascape, Spanish, Tropical, Water Garden, Wetlands, Wild Garden, Woodland
Accenting Features
Unusual Foliage
Seasonal Interest
Winter, Spring, Fall
Location Uses
Lawn, Parking Strip, Park, Parking Lot, Raised Planter, Roadside, With Rocks
Special Uses
Container, Erosion Control, Mass Planting, Lawn Substitute, Naturalizing
Attracts Wildlife
n/a
Water Saving Tip:
Mulching and adding compost to soil can minimize evaporation and help soil absorb and store water.