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Dasyochloa spp.
South-western North American deserts
Overview
Dasyochloa is a small genus in the grass family (Poaceae) from the deserts of south-western North America, often treated as containing the single species D. pulchella. It forms low tufts and spreading mats 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) tall, with short leafy branches that arch over and root where they touch the ground, building colonies over gravelly soil. The leaves are stiff, folded, and 0.4-1.2 inch (1-3 cm) long, grey-green and roughened by minute hairs. Dense, woolly flower clusters sit among the upper leaves, the spikelets wrapped in soft white hairs that give the plant its common name fluffgrass. It grows on dry, rocky slopes, desert pavement, and disturbed ground from southern California to Texas and northern Mexico, at elevations up to about 6,500 feet (2,000 m). As a warm-season grass it greens up after summer and winter rains and turns straw-coloured and dormant during drought. Its low stature and sparse growth give little forage value, and it is mainly a component of desert and semi-desert plant communities rather than a cultivated ornamental. The shallow, mat-forming roots help bind loose desert soils against erosion.
Native Range
Native to the deserts and dry grasslands of south-western North America, from southern California and Nevada east to Texas, and south into northern Mexico.Suggested Uses
Used in desert restoration, erosion control on dry slopes, and naturalistic xeriscape and rock plantings where a low groundcover grass is wanted. It suits gravel gardens and the margins of desert native plantings in hot, arid regions.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 8"
Width/Spread4" - 1'
Colors
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
white to creamFoliage Description
grey-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow in full sun and sharp, free-draining sandy or gravelly soil; it tolerates poor, stony, and alkaline ground with a pH around 7.0-8.5. Established plants need very little water and depend on occasional rainfall rather than irrigation. Excess moisture and rich soil cause the tufts to rot or grow lank. It withstands heat and reflected sun and survives light to moderate frost when dormant. No fertiliser is needed in its native desert soils. Plants self-seed where bare mineral soil is available.Pruning
No routine pruning is required. Old dried growth can be raked or cut away before new seasonal growth begins. Plants left untrimmed build up a layer of straw-coloured thatch.Container Growing
Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons