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Fakahatchee Grass (Tripsacum dactyloides): Bold Native Grass for Wet Sites

Overview

Fakahatchee Grass, also known as Eastern Gamagrass, is a robust, clump-forming perennial native to the southeastern US. It forms large, fountain-like clumps of wide, bright green leaves up to 4-6 feet tall. Unique male and female flower spikes appear in spring on the same plant, adding architectural interest.

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Family:	Poaceae (poh-AY-see-ee)
Genus:	Tripsacum (TRIP-suh-kum)
Species:	dactyloides (dak-ty-LO-id-eez)

Cultivation & Uses

Thrives in full sun to part shade in moist to wet soils, even standing water. Ideal for rain gardens, pond edges, and low-lying areas. Provides excellent wildlife cover and seeds for birds. Drought-tolerant once established. Cut back in late winter. A great native alternative to invasive pampas grass.

Grasses and Bamboo: Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens); Silver Banner Grass (Miscanthus sacchariflorus); Palm Grass (Setaria palmifolia); Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans); Fountain Grass 'Hameln' (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'); Centipede Grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides): A Low-Maintenance, Acid-Loving Lawn Grass; Egyptian Grass (Dactyloctenium aegyptium): A Spreading Annual Grass with Crowfoot Seed Heads; Bear Grass (Xerophyllum tenax): Iconic Western Native for Fire-Adapted Landscapes; Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea nana): Dwarf Australian Grasstree; Feather Grass (Stipa pennata): A European Steppe Grass with Silky, Flowing Awns

Garden Articles

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Ribbon Grass 'Picta' (Phalaris arundinacea): A Variegated, Spreading Grass for Wet Sites

Quaking Grass (Briza media): A Delicate Grass with Trembling Heart-Shaped Seed Heads

Purple Love Grass (Eragrostis spectabilis): Cloud of Purple Haze in Late Summer

Australian Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea preissii): Majestic Trunked Xanthorrhoea

Eastern Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix): Shade-Tolerant Native with Distinctive Seed Heads

Plants

Narrow-leaved Cotton Grass (Eriophorum angustifolium): White Fluffy Heads in Bogs

Bottlebrush Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea macronema): Slender Australian Grasstree

Himalayan Fairy Grass (Miscanthus nepalensis): A Delicate, Late-Blooming Grass from the Himalayas

Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea): A Native European Grass with Airy Purple Panicles

Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata): A Tall, Native Wetland Grass for Restoration

Scribner's Rosette Grass (Dichanthelium oligosanthes var. scribnerianum)

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)