Tall Yellow-eyed-grass

Xyris platylepis

Found in sandhill seeps, pine savannas, ditches, rarely inland in acid seepage over rock. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

36

Good

Native to Mississippi (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height: Up to about 3 feet
Light: Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture: Wet to standing water

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At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Bloom: July to September

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Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 11 Mississippi counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 4

Coastal Plain seepage bogs

Open, wet, seepage-fed bogs of the Coastal Plain and Sandhills, often with pitcher plants.

Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Seeps and springs

Places where groundwater keeps the soil or rock wet, such as seepage slopes and spring runs.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Xyris

Megisto cymelaLittle Wood Satyr
Coleophora xyridella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

13BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Xyris

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

1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey

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: Xyridaceae
Flower color: Yellow

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “July to September” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Height · “Up to about 3 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Soil · “Water; Wet (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Tall Yellow eyed grass

Conservation status

Mississippi rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
MS status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources