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Eastern Gamagrass (Fakahatchee) Seed
Tripsacum dactyloides | SKU: W-TRDA
What is Fakahatchee Grass?
Eastern Gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides), commonly sold as Fakahatchee Grass for its Florida ecotype, is a warm-season perennial bunchgrass native across the eastern and central United States. A close wild relative of corn, it forms dense clumps 4–6 ft tall and wide with arching, finely serrated leaves and stout late-spring seed spikes in shades of white, pink, rust, and yellow. In USDA zones 9–11 it stays evergreen; in colder zones (5–8) it dies back and resprouts vigorously each spring.
Primary uses:
- Native and Florida-friendly landscaping — anchor plant for rain gardens, pond edges, and naturalized borders. Tolerates wet feet and short flooding.
- Erosion control and buffer strips — deep root system (down to 6+ ft) stabilizes ditches, swales, and streambanks.
- High-quality forage — exceptional palatability and protein for cattle; tolerates close grazing if rested.
- Wildlife habitat — cover for ground-nesting birds; seeds eaten by quail, turkey, and songbirds.
Establishment notes: seed at 8–12 lbs PLS per acre or 1 lb per 4,000 sq ft. Plant in spring after soil reaches 60°F. Seed has a hard coat and benefits from 6–8 weeks of cold-moist stratification — germination is slow (2–4 weeks) and stand establishment takes a full season, so be patient.
Nature’s Seed sources Fakahatchee ecotype seed for the Southeast and tests every lot for purity and germination. Each bag is labeled with PLS so you know exactly what you’re planting, and our agronomists can help you match seeding rate to your site conditions.
Specifications
Seeding Specs
Establishment Specs
Why Choose This Seed?
Native Landscaping
Fakahatchee Grass is a go-to choice for Florida-friendly and southeastern native landscapes. Use it as a dramatic accent plant, a natural privacy screen, or a softening backdrop beneath tall palms and live oaks. It delivers year-round structure without irrigation or fertilizer once established.
Wildlife Habitat
The dense clumps provide cover and nesting habitat for birds, small mammals, and reptiles. Seeds are a food source for quail, wild turkeys, and songbirds. It also serves as a larval host plant for the Byssus Skipper butterfly, supporting native pollinator populations.
Rain Gardens & Wet Sites
Few ornamental grasses handle both drought and periodic flooding as well as Fakahatchee Grass. It thrives along pond banks, drainage swales, rain gardens, and stormwater retention areas — making it ideal for low-impact development and bioswale plantings.
Erosion Control
The deep, fibrous root system of Fakahatchee Grass makes it excellent for stabilizing slopes, stream banks, and disturbed sites. It holds soil in place even during heavy rains and seasonal flooding, reducing runoff and protecting waterways.
Salt & Drought Tolerance
With medium salt tolerance and moderate drought resistance once established, Fakahatchee Grass performs well in coastal landscapes and inland sites that experience dry spells. It requires minimal supplemental watering after the first growing season.
Planting Guide
Site Selection & Soil Prep
Choose a site with full sun to light shade and any soil type from sandy to clay. Fakahatchee Grass thrives in moist soils but adapts to drier conditions once established. Clear the planting area of competing weeds and loosen the top 2–3 inches of soil before sowing.
Seed Preparation & Sowing
Eastern Gamagrass seed has natural dormancy. For best results, cold-stratify seed at 35–40°F for 6–10 weeks before spring planting. Alternatively, sow in late fall and let winter conditions break dormancy naturally. Plant seed 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep. For broadcast seeding, use 10–15 lbs of pure live seed per acre.
Watering & Early Care
Keep the soil consistently moist during germination and for the first 4–6 weeks after seedlings emerge. Provide at least 1 inch of water per week until plants are well established. Once rooted, Fakahatchee Grass is moderately drought tolerant and rarely needs supplemental irrigation.
Maintenance
Fakahatchee Grass requires almost no maintenance. You can cut it back to 6–12 inches in late winter to encourage fresh spring growth, but this is optional. Divide clumps every 3–4 years in spring if they become too large. No fertilizer is needed in most soils.
Helpful Resources
Wildflower Seed Planting Guide
Questions & Answers
Fakahatchee Grass is hardy in USDA Zones 5–11, but performs best in Zones 8–11 where it stays evergreen. In colder zones, it dies back to the ground in winter and regrows from the roots each spring.
It is adaptable to a wide range of moisture conditions. It thrives in moist to wet soils and tolerates periodic flooding, but it is also moderately drought tolerant once established. During establishment, provide about 1 inch of water per week.
Mature clumps typically reach 4–6 feet tall and 4–6 feet wide. In ideal conditions with ample moisture, some plants can reach up to 8 feet including flower stalks.
No. Standard Fakahatchee Grass is Tripsacum dactyloides and grows 4–6 ft tall. Dwarf Fakahatchee is a different species (Tripsacum floridanum) that stays around 2–3 ft. Both are native to Florida, but this product is the full-size species.
Fakahatchee Grass is a clump-forming bunchgrass, not a runner. It slowly expands its clump over time via short rhizomes but does not spread aggressively or take over a garden. It stays where you plant it.
Its seeds feed quail, wild turkeys, songbirds, and deer. Dense clumps provide shelter for small mammals, reptiles, and ground-nesting birds. It is also a larval host plant for the Byssus Skipper butterfly and attracts native pollinators to its flower spikes.
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