Plant Guide

Eragrostis trichodes (Nutt.) Wood
sand lovegrass
ERTR3

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Graminoid
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Summer and Fall
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	Moderate
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	Medium
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	Yellow
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Dense
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Bunch
Growth Rate	Rapid
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	3.5
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Short
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	No
Anaerobic Tolerance	Low
CaCO3 Tolerance	High
Cold Stratification Required	No
Drought Tolerance	High
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	Low
Frost Free Days, Minimum	120
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	Medium
pH, Minimum	6
pH, Maximum	8.5
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum
Precipitation, Minimum	14
Precipitation, Maximum	35
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	16
Salinity Tolerance	Low
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-23

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Late Spring
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	High
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
Propagated by Bare Root	No
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	No
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	1625680
Seed Spread Rate	Rapid
Seedling Vigor	High
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	None

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	Yes
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	No
Palatable Browse Animal	High
Palatable Graze Animal	High
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Medium
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

Eragrostis trichodes (Nutt.) Wood
sand lovegrass
ERTR3
Cultivar: Bend

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Graminoid
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Summer and Fall
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	Moderate
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	Medium
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	Purple
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Dense
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Bunch
Growth Rate	Rapid
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	3.5
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Short
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	No
Anaerobic Tolerance	Low
CaCO3 Tolerance	High
Cold Stratification Required	No
Drought Tolerance	High
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	Low
Frost Free Days, Minimum	150
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	Medium
pH, Minimum	5
pH, Maximum	7.8
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum
Precipitation, Minimum	14
Precipitation, Maximum	35
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	16
Salinity Tolerance	Low
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-28

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Late Summer
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	High
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
Propagated by Bare Root	No
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	No
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	1625680
Seed Spread Rate	Moderate
Seedling Vigor	High
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	None

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	Yes
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	No
Palatable Browse Animal	High
Palatable Graze Animal	High
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Medium
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

Eragrostis trichodes (Nutt.) Wood
sand lovegrass
ERTR3
Cultivar: Mason

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Graminoid
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Summer and Fall
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	Moderate
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	Medium
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	Purple
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Dense
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Bunch
Growth Rate	Rapid
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	3.5
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Short
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	No
Anaerobic Tolerance	Low
CaCO3 Tolerance	High
Cold Stratification Required	No
Drought Tolerance	High
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	Low
Frost Free Days, Minimum	180
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	Medium
pH, Minimum	5
pH, Maximum	7.8
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum
Precipitation, Minimum	14
Precipitation, Maximum	35
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	16
Salinity Tolerance	Low
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-13

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Late Summer
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	High
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
Propagated by Bare Root	No
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	No
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	1625680
Seed Spread Rate	Moderate
Seedling Vigor	High
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	None

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	Yes
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	No
Palatable Browse Animal	High
Palatable Graze Animal	High
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Medium
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

Eragrostis trichodes (Nutt.) Wood
sand lovegrass
ERTR3
Cultivar: Nebraska 27

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Graminoid
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Summer and Fall
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	Moderate
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	Medium
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	Purple
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Dense
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Bunch
Growth Rate	Rapid
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	3.5
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Short
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	No
Anaerobic Tolerance	Low
CaCO3 Tolerance	High
Cold Stratification Required	No
Drought Tolerance	High
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	Low
Frost Free Days, Minimum	120
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	Medium
pH, Minimum	5
pH, Maximum	7.8
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum
Precipitation, Minimum	16
Precipitation, Maximum	35
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	16
Salinity Tolerance	Low
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-33

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Late Summer
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	High
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
Propagated by Bare Root	No
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	No
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	1625680
Seed Spread Rate	Moderate
Seedling Vigor	High
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	None

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	Yes
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	No
Palatable Browse Animal	High
Palatable Graze Animal	High
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Medium
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants

Class Liliopsida -- Monocotyledons

Subclass Commelinidae

Order Cyperales

Family Poaceae -- Grass family

Genus Eragrostis von Wolf -- lovegrass P

Species Eragrostis trichodes (Nutt.) Wood -- sand lovegrass P

Alternate Name

sand love grass, tall love grass.

Uses

Sand lovegrass is grazed by livestock and is sometimes cut for hay.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status, such as, state noxious status and wetland indicator values.

Description

Grass Family (Poaceae). Sand lovegrass is a warm‑season, short‑lived, perennial bunch grass. The height ranges from 2-1/2 to 5 feet. The leaf blade is flat. It is narrow and rolls inward under dry conditions, giving a threadlike appearance. The leaf sheath is rounded, nearly as long as the internodes, and hairy an inch or so below collar. The seedhead has a large open and purplish panicle and spikelets mostly 4 to 6 flowered.

Distribution: For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Management

Occasionally, it is included in range‑seeding mixtures for quick cover and forage production. This grass is seldom a key management species. It cures well on the stem and provides good grazing in the fall and winter, if grazing is deferred during summer months.

Establishment

This grass has a high stem to leaf ratio. After stems are grazed off, they often become stiff and harsh to touch. It can grow principally on deep sands and sandy loam soils.

Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

Please contact your local NRCS Field Office.

Reference

Leithead, H.L., L.L. Yarlett, & T.N. Shiflett. 1976. 100 native forage grasses in 11 southern states. USDA SCS Agriculture Handbook No. 389, Washington, DC.

Prepared By & Species Coordinator:

Percy Magee, USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Edited: 13may02 ahv; jul03 ahv; 20sep05 jsp; 070116 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS Web site<https://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials Program Web site <https://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>

Attribution: U.S. Department of Agriculture