Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Common name: sand lovegrass

Family: Poaceae (Grass)

Distribution: Central and Southeastern and Southwestern United States

Habitat: Prairies, open woods

Hardiness: USDA Zone 4 (-30 to -20 °F)

Life form: Grasses

Occurrence in New Mexico: New Mexico native plant

Growing Conditions: The native range of sand lovegrass extends from Illinois west throughout the Great Plains to Wyoming and south to Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico. In New Mexico, it is most common in the northeastern quarter of the state. It grows in sandy to gravelly prairies, sand barrens, open sandy woods, rocky slopes, and roadsides, at elevations from 300-6,500 feet. It is often found growing in part shade in association with junipers and oaks. Although it prefers deep sandy soils, it adapts to heavier soils, as long as they are well drained. It tolerates calcareous soils. It thrives with a medium amount of water, but is somewhat drought tolerant in sandy loams and will grow in hot, sunny locations. It can be propagated by seed or by division of plants in spring. Plants will self-seed in optimum growing conditions, and stems root along the ground at the nodes. It is highly palatable to livestock and is recommended for re-seeding rangeland. Early spring seedling emergence and its spreading root system makes it useful for stabilizing sandy areas.

Description: Sand lovegrass is an upright, clumping grass, with leaves 6-16 inches long and about ⅓ inch wide. The leaves can be flat or with rolled edges, and may have sparse long hairs on the lower part of the upper surface. The leaf sheath also has sparse long hairs on the edges and a dense tuft of long, white hairs at the tip. The flower stalk is an open, branching cluster up to 20 inches tall and 12 inches wide. The branches divide repeatedly, and each ends in a single purplish spikelet, about ½ inch long, with 4-18 florets.