Narrowleaf Silkgrass

Photograph by Mary Keim

Scientific Description: Narrowleaf Silkgrass – Pityopsis graminifolia – is a perennial member of the Aster (Asteraceae) family. It definitely is not a grass. It has narrow leaves about one foot long and produces bright yellow composite flowers that are each about 2-3 inches in diameter. It grows to a height of approximately two feet tall as an evergreen plant. It prefers full sun.

The Narrowleaf Silkgrass plant does very well in our region, unless you pamper it, fertilize it, give it rich soil, and otherwise coddle it. Then it will definitely not do well.

Although this plant is not considered aggressive, it will colonize an area, such as the foreground of a plant bed. It covers this area by means of rhizomes, or underground stems, which pop up some distance from the mother plant.

This plant is naturally found in scrubby flatwoods, pine uplands, and, although in winter and late autumn it looks like a grass with its narrow leaves, the striking yellow composite flowers identify it as an Aster, not a grass. The flowers are seen in late summer through the autumn. During winter, it only shows a basil rosette of leaves.

Habitat Value: The Narrowleaf Silkgrass will attract butterflies to your yard. In addition, it will attract other pollinators such as bees and moths, and then the birds that eat those insects. This plant is often used in a xeriscape garden to reduce erosion. 

It often reproduces via seeds, but most often by rhizomes.

Landscape Value: By Dylan Hackett, Nursery & Greenhouse Manager

Narrowleaf Silkgrass is great for tough-to-establish areas in the scape, where maybe it's too hot, dry, sunny, and/or the soil is more waste than want. If, perhaps, you can't get irrigation or love out to an area, this is a plant you can readily rely on. After establishment, this species is more or less drought-proof in my experience, and it effectively holds sandier soils together. This plant is a perfect candidate for those xeriscapes, rock gardens, and areas with little to no water. It works well for evergreen ground cover landscaping needs and adds color to the garden well past the peak summer and early fall blooms season.