WIREGRASS
By LYNN ARTZ and SANDY TEDDER
Wiregrass (Aristida stricta) is a densely tufted, native bunchgrass. It’s the dominant groundcover in longleaf pine grasslands that once covered the southeast. Wiregrass grows up to 2 feet tall. Longer flower stalks bear tiny, brown flowers in fall. (See photo) Also called pineland threeawn, it feeds gopher tortoises. Songbirds and quail eat the seeds. The plants provide cover for birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Wiregrass is usually used in restoration but can keep wildflowers upright in a home garden or serve as a border. Do not plant near a house as it is highly flammable. This helps lightning generate the low-intensity ground fires that maintain the longleaf pine-grassland ecosystem. Wiregrass is growing in the meadow and the northwest garden at Sopchoppy Depot Park.