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Bog Oatgrass

Danthonia epilis

Found in peaty bogs in the Coastal Plain and Mountains, seeps around rock outcrops in the Piedmont and Mountains, granitic domes. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

33
Good

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height
Up to about 4 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Moist to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
April to June

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 5 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement.

Granite and other acidic rock outcrops

Solution pits, Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, DeKalb County
Solution pits on granite. Shown: Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, DeKalb County, Georgia, a neighboring state.Solution pits, Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, DeKalb County, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 13 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Danthonia

  • Cercyonis pegalaCommon Wood Nymph
  • Hesperia leonardusLeonard's Skipper, Blazing Star Skipper, Pawnee Prairie Skipper, Pawnee Montane Skipper
  • Lon hobomokHobomok Skipper
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Danthonia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
3BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Danthonia

  • Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow
  • Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
  • Spizella pusillaField Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Flower color
Green or brown

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “April to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Flower color · “Green or brown” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
  • Height · “Up to about 4 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
  • Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Soil · “Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Also known as

Bog Oat Grass; Danthonia sericea var. epilis

Conservation status

Alabama rankNot available
Global rankG4
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources