Cuban Windmill Grass: A Rare Caribbean Native Worth Knowing About
Meet Cuban windmill grass (Chloris cubensis), a lesser-known perennial grass that calls the beautiful island of Puerto Rico home. While you probably won’t find this particular species at your local nursery, it’s worth understanding what makes this Caribbean native special—and why it represents the kind of unique botanical treasures that make native plant conservation so important.
What Is Cuban Windmill Grass?
Cuban windmill grass is a perennial graminoid, which is just a fancy way of saying it’s part of the grass family and its relatives. Like other members of the Chloris genus, this species has adapted to life in tropical and subtropical environments, developing characteristics that help it thrive in warm, often challenging growing conditions.
This grass is native exclusively to Puerto Rico, making it what botanists call an endemic species—a plant that occurs naturally in one specific geographic area and nowhere else in the world. That’s pretty special when you think about it!
Should You Plant Cuban Windmill Grass?
Here’s where things get a bit tricky. While Cuban windmill grass isn’t invasive or harmful to grow, it presents some practical challenges for most gardeners:
- Extremely limited availability—you’re unlikely to find it in cultivation
- Specialized growing requirements adapted to Puerto Rican conditions
- Better alternatives exist for most landscaping needs
- Conservation concerns about removing plants from wild populations
If you’re in Puerto Rico and encounter this grass growing naturally, consider yourself lucky to witness a true island endemic! For gardeners elsewhere, there are many other native grasses that can provide similar ecological benefits while being much more readily available and appropriate for your local conditions.
Growing Conditions and Care
While specific cultivation information for Cuban windmill grass is limited, we can make some educated guesses based on its Caribbean origins and relationship to other Chloris species:
- Likely prefers full sun to partial shade
- Probably drought-tolerant once established
- Would need warm temperatures year-round (tropical to subtropical zones)
- May prefer well-draining soils
Without more research and cultivation experience, growing this species successfully would be challenging for most gardeners.
Better Native Alternatives
Instead of seeking out this rare Caribbean endemic, consider these native grass alternatives that offer similar ecological benefits:
- For warm climates: Little bluestem, buffalo grass, or regional native bunch grasses
- For cooler areas: Native fescues, prairie dropseed, or locally appropriate sedges
- Consult your local native plant society for the best grasses for your specific region
The Bigger Picture
Cuban windmill grass reminds us that our planet is full of unique, irreplaceable species—many of which remain understudied and unavailable in cultivation. While we might not be able to grow this particular grass in our gardens, we can support native plant conservation by:
- Growing locally native species in our own landscapes
- Supporting botanical research and conservation organizations
- Learning about and appreciating the native plants in our own regions
- Avoiding the collection of rare plants from wild populations
Sometimes the most meaningful way to connect with a rare native plant like Cuban windmill grass is simply to appreciate its existence and the unique ecosystem it calls home. And who knows? Maybe future conservation efforts will make sustainable cultivation possible, giving more people the chance to grow this Caribbean treasure.
