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Purple Needlegrass
Stipa pulchra
  
64 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Purple Needlegrass (Stipa pulchra) 64 Nurseries Carry This Plant Purple Needlegrasss is California's most widespread native grass. It was named California's State Grass in 2004.

Purple needlegrass gets its name from the color of its young seeds. It is a perennial bunchgrass that can grow up to 3 feet tall. It has a deep root system, which makes it drought adapted and a good plant choice for erosion control.

Purple needlegrass is easy to grow and tolerant of most soil types, including poor and disturbed soils. Plant in full or part sun as part of a low-water meadow garden. This grass produces a large amount of seeds, which attract birds and other wildlife. It has long awns, and pet owners should be aware that they are prickly. It can be cut back when it turns brown at the end of summer.
Bornstein, C., Fross, D., O’Brien, B. (2011). Reimagining the California Lawn: Water-conserving Plants, Practices, and Designs. Cachuma Press.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Grass

Size
Size
3.3 ft tall
1.5 ft wide

Form
Form
Fountain

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate, Slow

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Cream, Green, Purple, Red

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
A diverse native grassland attracts numerous insects, birds and small mammals

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 4 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Hesperia juba Image
Juba Skipper Hesperia jubaHesperia juba
*
Coenonympha tullia Image
Common Ringlet Coenonympha tulliaCoenonympha tullia
*
Hesperia nevada Image
Nevada Skipper Hesperia nevadaHesperia nevada
*
Hesperia uncas Image
Uncas Skipper Hesperia uncasHesperia uncas

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 64

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 5° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Found in virtually every type of soil. Tolerates Serpentine Soil,Tolerates Sodic Soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Potential companion plants include nearly every native shrub. To maintain a true grassland look (with few or no shrubs), use geophytes such as Wild Onions (Allium species), Brodiaea species, Mariposa Lilies (Calochortus species) and Dichelostemma species, along with annual wildflowers from seed.

Propagation
Propagation?
Tends to self-sow under favorable conditions.  For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Found in many settings, including valley grasslands, openings in chaparral and coastal sage scrub, understory of oak woodlands, on coastal prairie as well as coastal bluffs, terraces, mesas, inland canyons, valleys, foothills, dry meadows, and elsewhere.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 6.5" - 98.2", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.52", Coldest Month: 25.7" - 57.6", Hottest Month: 48.6" - 84.4", Humidity: 0.02" - 36.40", Elevation: -151" - 9884"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Nassella pulchra
Common Names: Purple Stipa, Purple Tussockgrass


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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