// SPECIES PROFILE · GRASS · NATIVE

Purple sandgrass

Triplasis purpurea

Purple sandgrass (Triplasis purpurea) is a grass in the — family. Native range includes AR, KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 2b–11b. Mature size 6"–3'.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: —
Group: grass
Native range: Native to 38 U.S. states, including AL, AR, CO, CT, DE, FL…
USDA hardiness: Zones 2b–11b
Mature size: 6"–3'
Sun: Full sun
Water: Low · xeric
Bloom: —
Wildlife value: Pollinator and wildlife support
Ecological role: native species profile

Purple sandgrass (Triplasis purpurea) — *Triplasis purpurea* — Purple sandgrass. Photo by Albert Spear Hitchcock (1865–1935), Mary Agnes Chase (1869–1963), A. H. Baldwin, (Miss) M. D. Baker, Mary Wright Gill, Frank Lamson-Scribner, W. R. Scholl, Theodore Holm, Leta Hughey, Benjamin Y. Morrison, Mrs. George M. Mullett, Frances Carnes Weintraub, Edna May Whitehorn, or possibly another illustrator. via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Purple sandgrass (Triplasis purpurea) is a grass in the — family. Native range includes AR, KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 2b–11b. Mature size 6"–3'. Low water use makes it a strong candidate for xeric and drought-conscious plantings.

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, purple sandgrass pairs naturally with: Fox Sedge (Carex vulpinoidea), Awlfruit sedge (Carex stipata), Broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia), Fox sedge (Carex vulpinoidea var. vulpinoidea).