Flowering this month in our parking lot dryland garden is the true Eragrostis elliottii. Back in 1999, we introduced a plant under that name, which had been identified as that species by a Florida taxonomist. Well, it turned out to be the South African Eragrostis chloromelas that’s now being sold nationwide as Eragrostis ‘Wind Dancer’.
Last year, we made a trek to South Carolina to obtain the correct Southeast coastal plant native, which is now under trial to determine its garden performance and behavior. You’ll notice the similar appearance to the popular Eragrostis spectabilis, but we’re hoping it doesn’t have the seeding proclivity of E. spectabilis. Once, and if it passes our weed potential trials, we’ll be ready to share.
