Fakahatchee Grass (Tripsacum dactyloides)

Also known as: eastern gamagrass

Quick Facts

• Type: grass
• Size: 4-6 ft tall
• Sun: full
• Water: moderate
• Soil: Moist sandy to loamy soils
• USDA zones: 8-11

A big bold clumping grass with wide leaves and interesting corn-like seed spikes in summer.

Makes a great evergreen screen; cut back in late winter. Named for the Fakahatchee Strand.

In the Landscape

A bold architectural clump for the back of a moist border, beside a pond, or as a specimen in a rain garden. Its size (up to 6 feet in flower) makes it a natural focal point.

Care & Propagation

Plant in spring in a spot that stays moist — it sulks in dry sand. Cut back to 6 inches in late winter. It appreciates a deep drink during long dry spells but needs no fertilizer.

Divide large clumps in late winter with a sharp spade — the crowns are tough, so don't be shy. Seed works too but needs consistent moisture to germinate.

Wildlife Value

A documented host plant for several skipper butterflies, including the byssus skipper. The big clumps shelter frogs, toads, and ground-nesting birds.

🌱 Fun fact: Fakahatchee grass is a close wild cousin of corn — same genus family tree. Its chunky seed spikes look like tiny ears of corn wearing a grass costume.

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🌴 In Florida

Makes a great evergreen screen; cut back in late winter. Named for the Fakahatchee Strand.

🌿 Keep exploring

More Florida natives worth meeting:

• Broomsedge Bluestem (Andropogon virginicus)
• Bushy Bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus)
• Elliott's Lovegrass (Eragrostis elliottii)