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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

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

1
to
2
ft.

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Loam, Sand, 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. 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. Native habitat: pine and hardwood forests, tall grass prairie, upper coastal plain and marshes.

Description

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) 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.

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Clump Division Carefully dig around the clump, ensuring a wide berth to avoid damaging the root system. Lift the entire clump out of the soil. Using a sharp knife or spade, divide the clump into smaller sections. Each section should have at least one crown and a portion of roots attached for successful re-establishment. Trim any excessively long roots and remove any dead or dying foliage from the sections to promote healthier growth. Plant each section into well-draining soil, ideally at the same depth they were originally growing. Space the new plants about 12 inches apart to allow enough room for growth. Identify a healthy, mature clump that shows vigorous growth and has multiple crowns. This ensures you have a good source for division. 1) https://www.picturethisai.com/care/propagate/Sporobolus_junceus.html 2) https://www.bloomindesigns.com/brands/Sporobolus.html#:~:text=Spring%20Seeding:%20If%20you%20prefer,to%20dry%20slightly%20between%20waterings.

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