Purplish Grass
- Thread starter dogghr
- Start date
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Dogghr, I could be wrong, but I think that purple color is just because that grass is under some kind of stress. It could be lots of things. That is exactly how the grass I hit with Cleth this year looked before it browned and died. A phosphorus deficiency will do that too. It could also be that grubs have eaten on the roots. The list of possible stresses goes on. That dried grass head in the foreground looks like it could be fescue..........................
dogghr
Well-Known Member
That is fescue in there. And month long dry spell does have the grasses stressed. But I see these in clumps thru out farm and they stand out not only in color, but even in there leaf width and shape and their stature. Got me baffled and you may be right. I've tried looking up something similar but dead end. If you don't know what it is, then it must not exist. LOL. Thanks.
Tap
Well-Known Member
That's exactly what happens to some of my grasses a few weeks after I hit it with cleth. It's so purdy...nice colors and I know it's dying...a win-win.
Foragefarmer
Active Member
We call that grease grass around here. When it makes a seed head feel the head; if it has a gummy/sticky coating on it, it is grease grass. The seed head will be purple as well.
https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_trfl2.pdf
https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_trfl2.pdf
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
I know grease grass very well. I noticed that some of it was just beginning to get the purple head this past weekend.
That grass may or may not be it. You can tell by the seedhead.
That grass may or may not be it. You can tell by the seedhead.
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Foragefarmer
Active Member
I have it all over my pastures and it can be a real help this time of year if it is dry. The cattle love it.
Foragefarmer
Active Member
I am wrong. You can see the seed heads mixed in. I have some of the same stuff next to my driveway. I think I have looked it up before but can’t remember what it is.
Turkey Creek
Well-Known Member
I have seen Giant Foxtail show that color at times as well.
dogghr
Well-Known Member
I was probably off base since no one has mentioned it. But I did find pics of panicum vergatum/switch that matched the leaf color I have going even tho mine is a muted size. I do have natural growing switchgrass on my fallow fields but they look dissimilar. Yet how this is scattered, it is not fescue nor foxtail which I do have also. I also saw a similar plant at a nursery labeled switch that matched these leaves exactly. Not sure if I can trust a nursery label tho. Thanks for the responses and I will particularly look at this grease grass that has been mentioned. Glad to stump a few of my respected peers tho and I'll try to get some diff and better pics as summer ends. Thanks.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
I had to run by my farm for a few minutes at lunch today and though of the purple grass. The two grasses I saw the most purple on were Switchgrass and Indiangrass. I saw none on little or big bluestem. I saw just a few purple blades on some of the wild Panic Grasses. Grease Grass has already made its purple top, but there were no purple blades on any of it.
First Pic below is Indian. Second Pic is Switch. I have no trouble telling these grasses apart but a sure fire way to ID Indian is the gunsight that can be seen at the base of the blade when you bend it back from the stem. This is shown in the third picture.
I will say that Switch had more purple blades than any other. That makes sense. It has been under stress making seed. The seed are close to being viable at this point. Indian hasn't even bolted yet and won't make seed for several weeks. That is normal.
First Pic below is Indian. Second Pic is Switch. I have no trouble telling these grasses apart but a sure fire way to ID Indian is the gunsight that can be seen at the base of the blade when you bend it back from the stem. This is shown in the third picture.
I will say that Switch had more purple blades than any other. That makes sense. It has been under stress making seed. The seed are close to being viable at this point. Indian hasn't even bolted yet and won't make seed for several weeks. That is normal.
dogghr
Well-Known Member
Thanks Native, mine looks most like the switch but I'm gonna check them closer today if I can rent a submarine to get to the farm. I also was suggested Sprangletop which I have, or Purple top Tridens by another source. They are scattered so not a real significant plant on my place. Yet.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Any variety of switchgrass should be close to making a seed head by now. Switch is one of the earliest grasses with a C4 metabolism to start in the spring.
Purple Top Tridens is another name for the "Grease Grass" that was mentioned earlier (Tridens flavus cupreus). I have that grass growing native all over the farm. It has already made the purple seed head but I didn't see any of it with purple leaves.
As stated earlier, almost any grass can have purple blades at times, but some are more prone to it.
Purple Top Tridens is another name for the "Grease Grass" that was mentioned earlier (Tridens flavus cupreus). I have that grass growing native all over the farm. It has already made the purple seed head but I didn't see any of it with purple leaves.
As stated earlier, almost any grass can have purple blades at times, but some are more prone to it.
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Cave in the Rock Switchgrass today:
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Are you talking about my pictures?
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
No it isn't. It's Cave In The Rock Switchgrass = 100% certain.
