// SPECIES PROFILE · GRASS · NATIVE

Porcupinegrass

Hesperostipa spartea

Porcupinegrass (Hesperostipa spartea) is a grass in the — family. Native range includes KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 2a–9a. Blooms Apr–May.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: —
Group: grass
Native range: Native to 18 U.S. states, including CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI…
USDA hardiness: Zones 2a–9a
Mature size: —
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Bloom: Apr–May
Wildlife value: Pollinator and wildlife support
Ecological role: native species profile

Porcupinegrass (Hesperostipa spartea) — *Hesperostipa spartea* — Porcupinegrass. Photo by USFWS Mountain-Prairie via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Porcupinegrass (Hesperostipa spartea) is a grass in the — family. Native range includes KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 2a–9a. Blooms Apr–May.

Why it's on this list: native species profile. Native-range data from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (NPIN), cross-checked against iNaturalist observations. Part of Rooted Revival's regional native plant catalog — true natives for Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In the same native range, porcupinegrass pairs naturally with: Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis), Fox Sedge (Carex vulpinoidea), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).