Alkali Sacaton, Sporobolus airoides

About Alkali Sacaton (Sporobolus airoides) 39 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Alkali Sacaton (Sporobolus airoides) is a native grass that grows in southern and central California. It is found near the coast, in the foothills, in the central valley, and in the desert mountains, but typically in locations where there is somewhat more moisture. Early settlers viewed it as an indicator of underground water. It is especially noted for its ability to tolerate alkaline soils. It is moderately fast growing and moderately long-lived. It grows in an upright form to a height of 3 feet, with active growth during the spring and summer. Flowers are yellow and bloom in the mid summer. Leaves are medium green and deciduous. It tends to grow in moist but not saturated places, at elevations from 0-6,900 feet.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Grasses

Size

3 - 4 ft tall
2 ft wide

Form

Upright, Fountain

Growth Rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Fragrance

None

Flower Color

Yellow

Flowering Season

Summer

Wildlife Supported

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Sandhill Skipper Polites sabuletiPolites sabuleti

Wandering Skipper Panoquina erransPanoquina errans

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Low, Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 39

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 5° F

Soil Drainage

Medium

Soil Description

Tolerates a variety of soils. Tolerates Sodic Soil. Soil PH: 7.0 - 9.0

Common uses

Groundcovers, Deer Resistant

Companion Plants

Use with other moisture loving or alkali-tolerant plants such as Saltbush (Atriplex sp.), Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa), Rush (Juncus sp.), Evening PrimRose (Oenothera elata), and Antelope Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata)

Maintenance

Dormant plants may be cut back

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: Soak in 1% ( 2% okay) potassium nitrate for 24 hrs.; sowing wet gives slightly better results than air drying 1-3 days first. Germinate at high diurnal fluctuation, room temperature ( 70.5° to 78.8°) and 91.4°P (Anonymous 1944). No treatment. but using the high diurnal fluctua- tion (60.8° to 75.2°) and 95°P may also give good results [Toole 1941); for fresh seeds 2 wks. stratification first may improve germination (Toole 1941). No treatment. if sown outdoors in southern California during July or August may give good germination.

Sunset Zones?

1, 2, 3, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11*, 12*, 13*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Found in generally arid landscapes where there is underground moisture, including alkaline sinks, playas, edges of vernal pools or seasonal drainages

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 1.9" - 29.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.73", Coldest Month: 27.7" - 61.6", Hottest Month: 57.6" - 90.7", Humidity: 1.13" - 49.06", Elevation: -271" - 7712"

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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

Alkali Sacaton

Sporobolus airoides

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Alkali SacatonSporobolus airoides

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Alkali Sacaton

Sporobolus airoides