Tripsacum dactyloides Seed Heads (08/09/2012, Kew Garden, London)
Position: Full sun to partial shade
Flowering period: Late spring to summer
Soil: Moist, well drained
Eventual Height: 1.5m
Eventual Spread: 1.2m
Hardiness: 4b – 10b
Family: Poaceae
Tripsacum dactyloides is a variable, perennial clump forming grass. Its grey/ green leaves are lanceolate, up to 1.5m long and 35mm wide. Its leaves turn a bronze color at the first frost in autumn. Its flowers are monoecious, with orange stamens and purple stigmas, these appear as a single terminal raceme and is up to 25cm long. Its seeds contain one or more thorns. Its roots are deep, thick rhizomes which aids its slow spread.
Tripsacum dactyloides, commonly known as Eastern Gamagrass or the Ice-cream Grass, is native to North and Central America. In its native habitat it grows at the edges of salt marshes, streams and as part of tall grass prairies.
The etymological root of the binomial name Tripsacum is possibly from the Greek tripso meaning ‘rub’ and psakas meaning ‘a grain’, in reference to thee shiny surface of the seed head. Dactyloides is derived from the Greek daktulos meaning finger and oides meaning ‘like’.
Tripsacum dactyloides (08/09/2012, Kew Garden, London)
The landscape architect may find Tripsacum dactyloides useful for soil stabilisation. Once established it is drought and occasional flood tolerant.
Ecologically, Tripsacum dactyloides is attractive to some pollinating insects. It provides good cover for some birds. Is is also attractive to grazing herbivores.
Tripsacum dactyloides prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil.
Tripsacum dactyloides requires little maintenance. Clump may be cut to 300mm in early winter to keep a tidy appearance.