Native Plants
Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.
Scleropogon brevifolius
Scleropogon brevifolius Phil.
Burrograss
Poaceae (Grass Family)
Synonym(s): Scleropogon longisetus
USDA Symbol: SCBR2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
More drought tolerant than Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides), this tough, short turf grass is very aggressive. Though Burrograss is not normally considered decorative, after a rain some individual plants display female flowers of a glowing pink. Others bloom white. When pink-flowered plants dominate and are backlit by the sun, the effect can be subtly charming. Burrograss has an amazingly wide natural range, occurring from Colorado and Nevada south all the way to Argentina.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Dioecious
Inflorescence: Spike
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: Up to 9 inches tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , PinkBloom Time: Jul , Aug
Bloom Notes: Female plants have showier flowers. Pink-flowering populations can be decorative when backlit.
Distribution
USA: AZ , CA , CO , NM , NV , OK , TX , UTNative Distribution: Nevada and Colorado east to central Texas and south to southern South America
Native Habitat: Prairie, plains, meadows, pastures, savannas
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2)
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Well-drained, calcareous sand, loam, clay, or caliche
Conditions Comments: May go dormant in summer, greening up with late summer/fall rains. Only blooms after rains.
Benefit
Use Ornamental: A rugged, drought-tolerant, mowable turf grass, some strains with attractive pink flowersUse Wildlife: Nesting material
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Propagation
Propagation Material: Root Cuttings , Root Division , SeedsMaintenance: Mow as desired until rains come. Then, let it bloom and seed out before resuming mowing.
Bibliography
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. WasowskiBibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Additional resources
USDA: Find Scleropogon brevifolius in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Scleropogon brevifolius in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Scleropogon brevifolius
Metadata
Record Modified: 2009-11-21Research By: TWC Staff, GDG