North America Non-native Plant

Chloris Berroi

Botanical name: Chloris berroi

USDA symbol: CHBE9

Habit: grass

Native status: Not native but doesn't reproduce and persist in the wild

Chloris berroi: A Mysterious Native Grass Worth Knowing About Ever stumbled across a plant name that makes you scratch your head and wonder, What exactly is this? Well, meet Chloris berroi – a grass species that’s got botanists and gardeners alike saying hmm, tell me more! Unfortunately, there isn’t a ...

Chloris berroi: A Mysterious Native Grass Worth Knowing About

Ever stumbled across a plant name that makes you scratch your head and wonder, What exactly is this? Well, meet Chloris berroi – a grass species that’s got botanists and gardeners alike saying hmm, tell me more! Unfortunately, there isn’t a whole lot more to tell just yet, but let’s dive into what we do know about this intriguing member of the grass family.

What Is Chloris berroi?

Chloris berroi belongs to the Poaceae family, which means it’s a true grass – think of it as a cousin to your lawn grass, but with its own unique personality. This species falls under the broader category of graminoids, those grass-like plants that include not just true grasses but also sedges, rushes, and their relatives. While many Chloris species are well-known for their distinctive seed heads and drought tolerance, this particular species remains something of a botanical mystery.

The Name Game

Here’s where things get a bit tricky – Chloris berroi doesn’t seem to have a widely recognized common name yet. Sometimes this happens with lesser-known or recently described species. The scientific community knows it by its botanical name, but it hasn’t quite made it into the everyday gardener’s vocabulary. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it just means we’re dealing with a plant that’s still making its mark in the horticultural world.

Where Does It Come From?

The geographical distribution of Chloris berroi remains unclear from current documentation. Many Chloris species are native to warm, tropical, and subtropical regions, particularly in the Americas, but the specific native range of this species needs more research to pin down accurately.

So, Should You Plant It?

Here’s the honest truth – with limited information available about Chloris berroi’s growing requirements, hardiness zones, and ecological impact, it’s tough to give you a solid recommendation either way. We don’t know enough about its invasive potential, its specific growing needs, or even its availability in the nursery trade.

If you’re drawn to native grasses (and who isn’t these days?), you might want to consider some better-documented alternatives while we wait for more information about this species to emerge. There are plenty of fantastic native grasses that we know will thrive in home landscapes and support local ecosystems.

Better-Known Native Grass Alternatives

While we’re waiting to learn more about Chloris berroi, consider these well-documented native grass options:

  • Little bluestem for prairie-style gardens
  • Buffalo grass for low-maintenance lawns
  • Blue grama for xeriscaping
  • Switchgrass for wildlife habitat

The Bottom Line

Chloris berroi represents one of those fascinating botanical puzzles that remind us how much we still have to learn about the plant world. While we can’t offer specific growing advice for this species just yet, its very existence highlights the incredible diversity within the grass family.

If you happen to be a botanist, researcher, or serious grass enthusiast with information about this species, the gardening community would love to learn more! Until then, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for new research and updates about this mysterious member of the Chloris genus.

Sometimes the most interesting plants are the ones that keep us guessing – and Chloris berroi certainly fits that bill.

Chloris Berroi

Classification

Group

Monocot

Kingdom

Plantae - Plants

Subkingdom

Tracheobionta - Vascular plants

Superdivision

Spermatophyta - Seed plants

Division

Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants

Subdivision
Class

Liliopsida - Monocotyledons

Subclass

Commelinidae

Order

Cyperales

Family

Poaceae Barnhart - Grass family

Genus

Chloris Sw. - windmill grass

Species

Chloris berroi Arechav. [excluded]

Plant data source: USDA, NRCS 2025. The PLANTS Database. https://plants.usda.gov,. 2/25/2025. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA