Spike Lovegrass

Scientific Name: Eragrostis spicata Vasey

Spike Lovegrass

General Information
Usda Symbol	ERSP2
Group	Monocot
Life Cycle	Perennial
Growth Habits	Graminoid
Native Locations	ERSP2

Plant Guide

Description

General: Spike lovegrass (Eragrostis spicata Vasey) is a caespitose, robust perennial with short rhizomes. Culms are unbranched, erect, and glabrous, growing 80-120 cm (31-47 in) tall. The leaf blades are 2-7.5 mm (0.08-0.29 in) wide, 25-40 cm (9-16 in), and are flat, rolled (when desiccated), or involute. Leaf color is grayish green and leaves are glabrous with serrate margins. Ligules are a 0.5 mm (0.2 in) fringed membrane. Inflorescence sheaths are glabrous to ciliate-pilose near the ligules. Panicles range 20-50 cm (7-20 in) in length by 5 mm (0.2 in) wide, and are spike-like, linear, and have several branches per node. The spikelets are densely imbricate. Spikelets are small, less than 1 mm (0.03 in). (Everitt et al. 2011). There are about 4,000,000 seeds per 0.45 kg (lb). Distribution: Spike lovegrass is found from South Texas into Mexico, Paraguay, and Argentina. For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Adaptation

Spike lovegrass is found in moist areas in clay or clay loam soils throughout South Texas. Spike lovegrass is well adapted to saline or alkaline soil conditions common in western South Texas.

Uses

Spike lovegrass is recommended for wildlife plantings since it provides good cover for birds and small mammals as well as providing seed for graminivorous bird species, It can also be used in range plantings because it has the ability to recover from defoliation and reseeds itself, Spike lovegrass is useful for critical site revegetation and bank stabilization because of the dense vegetation near the soil surface which helps stabilize the soils, Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Spike Lovegrass., This is especially benefical for saline and alkaline sites, It is a native species that is well adapted to moist soil areas and saline soils resulting from oil and gas production activities and pipeline right-of-way construction,

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site (http://plants.usda.gov/) and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g., threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

Planting Guidelines

Seedbed preparation should begin well in advance of planting. Planting is done in late fall or spring in South Texas. Establish a clean, weed-free seedbed by either tillage or herbicides. Prior to planting, the site should be firm and have accumulated soil moisture. Spike lovegrass is seeded using a drill or broadcast seeder. If broadcast seeded, some type of additional coverage such as culti- packing or light dragging is recommended to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. Seed is planted 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep. It is better to plant too shallow than too deep. For calibration purposes, spike lovegrass contains approximately 4,000,000 seeds per bulk pound. A seeding rate of 0.5-1 pounds pure live seed (PLS) per acre is recommended for establishment of pure stands; when used as part of a seeding mixture the seeding rate should be adjusted according to the desired percentage of the plant on the planting site.

Management

Areas planted to spike lovegrass should be deferred form grazing until plants become established and are allowed to set seed. Established plants should be allowed to produce seed annually.