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Puff Sheath Dropseed

Sporobolus neglectus

Found in dry rocky barrens and outcrops, over calcareous rocks (such as limestone or dolomite). FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

32
Good

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

Profile 65%

Height
Up to about 1.5 feet
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to average
Will it fit your yard?

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual

Not yet recorded · Spread · Light · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 10 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement.

Glades, barrens and outcrops on limestone

Cedar glade in the Pennyroyal Plain, Simpson County
Limestone cedar glade. Shown: Pennyroyal Plain, Simpson County, Kentucky, a neighboring state.Cedar glade in the Pennyroyal Plain, Simpson County, Mason Brock (Masebrock), undated. Public domain. Source record.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 81 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Sporobolus

  • Hesperia leonardusLeonard's Skipper, Blazing Star Skipper, Pawnee Prairie Skipper, Pawnee Montane Skipper
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Sporobolus

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
10BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

  • Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
  • Ammospiza leconteiiLeConte's Sparrow
  • Calcarius ornatusChestnut-collared Longspur
  • Calcarius pictusSmith's Longspur
  • Catharus fuscescensVeery
  • Euphagus cyanocephalusBrewer's Blackbird
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
  • Pooecetes gramineusVesper 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
Yellow, green, purple or brown
Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Virginia rankS1
Global rankNot available
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Sources