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Shiny Spikegrass

Chasmanthium nitidum

Found in blackwater swamp forests, especially with calcareous influence (over marl, oligohaline tidal swamps). FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

35
Good

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

Profile 88%

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

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
May to November

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 35 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement.

Swamps

Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp
Regional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal swamps, Florida to Virginia; state not identified, a neighboring state.Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 146 animals.

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

6CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Chasmanthium

  • Amblyscirtes hegonPepper and Salt Skipper
  • Amblyscirtes vialisCommon Roadside-Skipper, Black Little Skipper
  • Atrytone byssusByssus Skipper, Golden Skipper
  • Cyllopsis gemmaGemmed Satyr
  • Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
  • Lon zabulonZabulon Skipper
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Chasmanthium

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
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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 · “May to November” · 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 shade (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

Uniola nitida; oats

Conservation status

Florida rankS3
Global rankG3G4
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources