Purple Love Grass
Purple love grass at Sopchoppy Depot Park.
By LYNN ARTZ, SANDY TEDDER and DAVID RODDENBERRY
Purple love grass (Eragrostis spectabilis) is a small, beautiful bunch grass. In the fall, airy clusters of flowers and seeds float above the foliage as wispy purplish-pink clouds that catch the dew. The clusters break off when mature and roll tumbleweed style, giving it the nickname tumble grass. Purple love grass is found in flatwoods, sand hills, and sandy fields in most of Florida. It is a larval host for Zabulon skippers. Birds and other wildlife eat the seeds. This perennial grows 1-3 feet tall in sandy soil in full sun. Purple love grass can be an accent, an attractive border, or striking when massed. Mow or divide in the winter when dormant. See the stunning show this grass is putting on now in the meadow at Sopchoppy Depot Park.