Plant of the Month: Purple Three Awn (Aristida purpurea)
Common name: Purple Three Awn
- Type: Perennial native grass
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: tolerates a variety
- Water: Low to very low
This month’s native garden plant of the month is purple three awn grass (Aristida purpurea). Native to the overall Western US, you can find this grass in many places of the Mojave Desert. This species includes several recognized varieties that have overlapping geographical ranges.
This perennial grass has an erect form, and the flower glumes (pairs of bracts) often assume a light brown to reddish-purple color. It is a wonderful plant for gardens as it provides a soft contrast to our more spiky or bushy native plants. It also provides movement in the lightest of winds.
According to wildflower.org and other sites, purple three awn is good for erosion control on banks and provides a root matrix for many wildflower species. It attracts butterflies and deer usually ignore it.
For more info on purple three awn, check out Calscape’s feature page. Another resource is the USDA’s Plant Guide.