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Sporobole hétérolépis

Sporobole hétérolépis

Sporobolus heterolepis
Une graminée indigène des prairies, formant des touffes, à croissance chaude, qui produit un feuillage vert émeraude très fin en port de fontaine gracieux, suivi de panicules séminifères aériennes en fin d'été dégageant un parfum distinctif de coriandre fraîche à la floraison. Souvent décrit comme la plus élégante des graminées de prairie nord-américaines ; longévif (30 ans et plus) et robuste. Lent à s'établir — 2 à 3 ans depuis le semis — mais d'une beauté incomparable à maturité.
Native: 27 US states + 2 CA provinces
Climate fit: broad (90/100)
Structure
Border
Light
Full sun
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
18-36" tall · 24" apart
Hardy in zones
3a-9b
brutally cold to frosty winters
AHS heat range
1-11
Plant range authored in AHS heat-zone terms.
Native in Illinois
Yes
A documented larval host for the Skipper butterflies — specialist wildlife that depend on plants like this to reproduce.

Cold hardiness

Future
These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7a
Plotwright
Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).
Well-suited
In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Future
Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.
Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Sources & citations

Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Sporobole hétérolépis (Sporobolus heterolepis). Retrieved 2026, June 14, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/sporobolus-heterolepis
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited - 18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image