Mexican Lovegrass: A Native Grass Worth Knowing
If you’re diving into the world of native grasses, you might have stumbled upon Mexican lovegrass (Eragrostis mexicana mexicana). This unassuming annual grass might not be the showiest plant in your garden center, but it has some interesting qualities that make it worth considering for certain landscaping situations.
What Exactly Is Mexican Lovegrass?
Mexican lovegrass belongs to the lovegrass family, and despite what its name might suggest, this little grass is actually native right here in North America. You might also see it listed under its scientific synonyms Eragrostis neomexicana or Poa mexicana in older plant references, but they’re all referring to the same species.
As an annual grass, Mexican lovegrass completes its entire life cycle in one growing season—sprouting, growing, flowering, setting seed, and dying all within a single year. This makes it quite different from the perennial grasses that most gardeners are familiar with.
Where Does It Call Home?
This adaptable grass has quite an impressive native range across North America. You can find it naturally growing from British Columbia down through numerous U.S. states including Arizona, California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. That’s quite a geographic spread, suggesting this grass is pretty adaptable to different climates and conditions.
Should You Plant Mexican Lovegrass?
Here’s where things get a bit tricky. While Mexican lovegrass is undoubtedly native and has ecological value, there’s limited specific information available about this particular subspecies for home gardeners. This doesn’t make it a bad choice, but it does mean you’ll want to think carefully about your goals.
Consider planting it if you’re:
- Working on prairie restoration or naturalized areas
- Creating habitat for native wildlife
- Looking for low-maintenance annual grasses
- Interested in supporting local ecosystems
You might want to skip it if you’re:
- Looking for a showy ornamental grass
- Planning a formal garden design
- Wanting a grass that will return year after year
Growing Mexican Lovegrass
The good news about native plants is that they’re typically well-adapted to local growing conditions. Since Mexican lovegrass has such a wide native range, it appears to be quite adaptable to different soils and climates.
As an annual, you’ll need to either replant each year or allow it to self-seed. Many native annuals are excellent at self-seeding when conditions are right, so you might find it returning on its own in subsequent years.
The Bottom Line
Mexican lovegrass represents one of those native plants that’s probably more important ecologically than it is horticulturally. While it may not be the star of your garden, it could play a valuable supporting role in naturalized areas or prairie-style plantings.
If you’re specifically interested in this grass, try contacting native plant societies in your area or specialty native plant nurseries—they might have more detailed growing information or be able to source seeds for you. Sometimes the most interesting native plants are the ones that fly under the radar!
Remember, every native plant has a role to play in supporting local ecosystems, even if that role isn’t immediately obvious to us gardeners. Mexican lovegrass might just be one of those quiet contributors that helps complete the puzzle of a healthy, diverse native landscape.
