Sporobolus contractus aka Spike Dropseed

Sporobolus contractus, or spike dropseed, is a grass that lives for years. It belongs to the grass family, Poaceae. Its home range spans parts of the United States and northern Mexico. Records list California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. They also list Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. It grows in several states in northern Mexico. It grows on mesas, dry bluffs, and sandy ground. Most of its range has temperate or subtropical climates.

This grass grows in clumps with upright stems called culms. These thin stems are about two to three millimetres thick. Both plant databases give a general height of 2.6 feet [0.8 metres]. The fuller plant account gives 1.3–3.6 feet [0.4–1.1 metres]. Thick growth near the ground helps hold loose soil. The sources say little about leaf shape or flower colour. Each flower has both male and female parts. Wind moves pollen from one flower to the next. The sources do not say when it blooms.

Grow it in sun, in soil that drains well. Useful Tropical Plants says it copes with a range of soils. It lists fine loam, silty loam, and sandy loam as best. Plants For A Future lists sandy and loamy soils too. It says the grass prefers moist soil, though its wild sites are dry. It can grow in slightly acid or slightly alkaline soil. It can grow in neutral soil too. These sources give no firm guide for when to water. They do not make clear how well it survives British winters. They give no hardiness zone.

People gather the wild grass for food and other uses. People eat the seeds raw or cooked. They grind them into flour for porridge, bread, or biscuits. The small seeds take much work to process. People have used leaf fibre to make mats for the home. They tied leaf bundles together to cover doorways and similar spaces. The grass helps conserve land within its home range. Thick growth at its base helps hold sandy soil against erosion. Seed mixes for land cover and soil care can include it.

Grow new plants from seed or split clumps in spring. Cover sown seed with just a thin layer of soil. The sources say seeds may sprout in about two weeks. Plant large split clumps straight into their final sites. Plants For A Future says to shield smaller ones until they take hold. Neither source lists a known hazard or use as medicine. That lack of known hazards does not prove safety for pets. The accounts name no specific pests or diseases.