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Native Plant Society of Texas

Pineywoods Dropseed

Sporobolus junceus

Other common name(s):

Blue Dropseed, Purple Dropseed

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.

East Central Texas Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Grass & Sedge

Height

2
to
3
ft.

Spread

to
ft.

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Pink

Bloom Season

Fall

Seasonal Interest

Forage

Wildlife Benefit

Browsers

Maintenance

Landscape uses include bunching grass in a wildflower garden, border of walkways. This is a low plant, so best used near the front of a group planting. Native habitat: pine and hardwood forests, tall grass prairie, upper coastal plain and marshes. This grass species is sometimes grazed by livestock, but it is not one of the more palatable grasses. It increases in abundance as the better grasses are consumed, and it indicates a pasture that is declining in quality.

Comments

Blooms September-November. A low growing clump grass. Short-lived perennial. Leaves are up to 30 centimeters long and are flat or rolled. They are blue-green in color. The panicle is pyramidal in shape with spreading branches. They are lined with purplish or reddish spikelets.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Sporobolus poiretii, Agrostis juncea, Agrostis thyrsoides, Axonopus poiretii, Bennetia juncea, Colpodium junceum, Crypsis juncea, Heleochloa juncea, Sporobolus ejuncidus, Sporobolus junceus, Vilfa fulvescens, Vilfa gracilis, Vilfa juncea, Vilfa schiedeana, Vilfa subsetacea, Vilfa vinzenti

References

1) https://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=19059&locationType=County&mapType=Normal 2) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=42142#null 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SPJU 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Sporobolus+junceus&formsubmit=Search+Terms 5) https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/etpmcpg12259.pdf 6) https://regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Sporjunc 7) https://www.fnps.org/plant/sporobolus-junceus 8) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporobolus_junceus 9) https://nativebutterflyflowers.com/native-plants/pineywoods-dropseed/ 10) chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/etpmcpg12259.pdf 11) https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/species_account.php?id=4010#:~:text=Flowering%20and%20fruiting%20September%2DNovember,yellow%2C%20and%20blue%2Dgray.

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason