Poaceae (Aristida)
Aristida (purpurea)
Poaceae
Grass Family
Aristida
purpurea
Nutt.
Purple three-awn
ARIPUR
Zion National Park, Utah
Aristida purpureais found throughout the western United States and east to Minnesota and south to Louisiana. It is also found in Virginia and West Virginia.
plants
seed
Container (plug)
SC-10 Super Cells
4 Months
Height: N/A
Caliper: N/A
Root System: Firm root plug in container.
Seeds are hand collected from sites within the Park when fruits have fully matured.
Seeds are stored in sealed containers under refrigeration between 40 and 60 F.
Seeds are directly sown into SC-10 Super Cells (3 per cell) in July containing a medium of 1.5 parts vermiculite, 1 part sterile sand, 1 part coarse turface, and 2 parts peat moss (v:v:v:v). Cells are watered thoroughly after sowing and are not allowed to dry out completely during during germination.
Seedlings are grown in a shadehouse from July through October.
We sometimes incorporate 13:13:13 NPK Osmocote time release fertilizer into media.
Seedlings are hand watered throughout the growing season after they are well established. Throughout the active growth phase, we irrigate when containers are nearly dry as a method of hardening the plants while they are being grown.
Decker, Cheryl. 2003. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Aristida purpurea Nutt. plants SC-10 Super Cells; USDI NPS - Zion National Park Springdale, Utah. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/06/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.