Alkali sacaton or Alakali dropseed. Clumping, warm season grass with grayish-green foliage in upright, arching mounds 2-3’ tall and as wide. Showy, cloud-like flowers emerge June through July in mauve-pink, openly branched panicles 2-3’ above the foliage. As the season progresses they become amber then gold, remaining showy until the first winter rains. Striking in dried flower arrangements. Straw-colored foliage in winter. Use massed as large-scale groundcover, in meadows or for erosion control. Best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Tolerates drought, heat, alkaline and saline soils and can easily survive without summer water, although supplemental water is recommended for a cultivated appearance. Hardy to 0F. Western North America.
