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Native Plant Society of Texas

Purple Lovegrass

Eragrostis spectabilis

Other common name(s):

Purple Love Grass, Purple Plains Lovegrass, Tumblegrass, Petticoat Climber

Family:

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Canadian/Cimarron High Plains
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Grass & Sedge

Height

.5
to
1.5
ft.

Spread

.5
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Dry, Gravelly, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Disturbed Areas, Grassland, Woodland Edge

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Purple, Red

Bloom Season

Summer

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies

Maintenance

Will grow in dry, gravelly areas where other plants won’t. Spreads by rhizomes and will reseed itself. Cut back dead foliage before new spring growth. Deer resistant. Native habitat: sandy or disturbed sites, plains, open woods. margins of woods, along roadsides, and in other disturbed sites, associated with hardwood forests, Prosopsis-Acacia grasslands, and shortgrass prairies.

Description

Blooms August-October. A warm-season bunch grass, short lived perennial. Grows low to the ground in dense tufts. Fine-textured, stiff inflorescence appears like reddish-purple clouds. Eventually this inflorescence breaks off and floats around like a tumbleweed. Larval host: Zabulon Skipper.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Eragrostis spectabilis var. sparsihirsuta, Poa spectabilis

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Lovegrass seed can be sown either indoors in the late winter or directly outside. The ornamental grass seed is small, press the seed into the soil but do not cover it. Keep the Purple Love Grass seed moist until germination. 1) https://www.outsidepride.com/seed/ornamental-grass/love-grass/love-grass-purple.html#:~:text=Purple%20love%20grass%20(Eragrostis%20spectabilis)%20is%20a,in%20winter%20to%20prepare%20for%20spring%20growth 2) https://www.rpseeds.co.uk/products/eragrostis-spectabilis-purple-love-grass-seeds#:~:text=GROWING%20GUIDE,soil%20in%20a%20sunny%20position.
Clump Division Assemble the necessary tools including a sharp spade or knife, pots, potting soil, and water. Ensure all tools are clean to prevent the spread of disease to purple lovegrass. Gently tease apart the root clump into smaller sections using your hands or cut through with the spade or knife. Each section should have a good amount of roots and several shoots. Fill pots with potting soil and plant the divided sections of purple lovegrass, ensuring that the roots are well spread out and that the soil level is the same as it was when the plant was in the ground. Water the newly potted sections of purple lovegrass thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots and eliminate air pockets. Place the pots in a location where purple lovegrass will receive appropriate amounts of sunlight and maintain consistent moisture in the soil without overwatering. Keep an eye on the new purple lovegrass plants for signs of growth or stress. Adjust care as needed to ensure healthy root and shoot development. Choose a time when purple lovegrass is actively growing but not during the heat of the day to avoid excessive stress on the plant. Carefully dig around the base of purple lovegrass to lift the entire clump from the ground with minimal root disturbance. Shake off any loose soil. https://www.picturethisai.com/care/propagate/Eragrostis_spectabilis.html#:~:text=Purple%20lovegrass%20is%20typically%20propagated%20through%20division%2C,well%2Ddraining%20soil%20are%20crucial%20for%20healthy%20growth.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason