Purpletop
Purpletop (Tridens flavus) is a perennial bunch grass with striking reddish-purple seedheads in late summer and fall. The tall erect stems are topped with wispy clusters of delicate branchlets bearing reddish-purple grain-like flowers that hold their color for weeks. This native grows 3-5 feet tall and 1-3 feet wide in sandy soil in sun to part shade. Purpletop is a larval food for at least half a dozen moths, skippers, and butterflies. Sometimes called grease grass, its oily seedheads provide an autumn feast for birds and mammals. This salt-tolerant grass is deer resistant and often grows along roadside ditches. A few plants pair well with yellow wildflowers. Dramatic when massed, it also provides structure to a wildflower meadow. Purpletop volunteers are adding color now to the meadow at Sopchoppy Depot Park.
