Carol Cloud Bailey
Family
Poaceae
Botanical Name
CENCHRUS echinatus
Plant Common Name
Southern Sandbur
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
Dare to walk though a patch of southern sandspur and be prepared to pluck prickly, annoying seeds from your pants and shoe laces. Believed native to southern North America and the Caribbean, southern sandspur's weedy, invasive tendencies now finds the species growing all over the world, especially in tropical and warm-temperate regions. This annual, fast-growing grass has a fibrous root system and tidy, clumping habit. Its ability to flower and produce seeds in abundance allows it to become a colonizing nightmare. The seeds cling to clothing and animal fur as well as being carried by water to new soil to germinate.
Plants sprout from seed in the warm months of the year, prospering in bright light and relatively any soil with some level of fertility and faint supply of moisture. The medium green grass blades arise from the plant base or the branched stems, creating a broad v-shaped tuft of foliage. This grass then produces multiple flower heads. The tiny, spiny, white to pink flowers form a tight cylindrical cluster on stem tips. After wind pollination, the flowers become reddish-green spurred seeds that then ripen and dry to straw-brown. The seeds drop away in wind or are readily torn to attach to animal fur, skin, or clothing fibers.
No one wants to deliberately grow southern sandspur, as it is an annoying, fast-spreading noxious weed in garden settings. Even in roadside or pasture settings it's undesirable and dreaded. Shade, wet soils and frost seem to limit this sandspur's growth or spread. Seeds may sprout in colder regions in spring, but short growing seasons prevent seed production. In many subtropical regions worldwide, this species has attained invasive status.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 6
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Plant Type
Grass
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
12"-36" / 30.5cm - 91.4cm (18)
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Width
10"-24" / 25.4cm - 61.0cm
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Bloom Time
Indeterminate
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Native To
Southeastern United States, South-Central United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Average
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Soil type
Loam, Sand
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Growth Rate
Very Fast
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Water Requirements
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
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Habit
Clump-Forming
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Insignificant
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Fruit Color
Light Green, Tan
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Light Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Light Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green, Light Green
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
Yes
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Fine
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Sharp or Has Thorns
Yes
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Invasive
Yes
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Self-Sowing
Yes
