African love grass
Eragrostis curvula
Its roots can plunge up to 5 meters deep into the earth, making it an exceptional tool for erosion control but a fierce competitor against native flora.
- Scientific name
- Eragrostis curvula
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Poales › Poaceae › Eragrostis
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Grasslands, roadsides, disturbed soils, and semi-arid savannas.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- Range
- South Africa, Lesotho, United States, Australia, Japan
- Size
- Tussocks 30 to 120 cm in height
- Lifespan
- Perennial (5 to 15 years)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Displacement by urban development in its native range, though globally it faces few threats and acts as an aggressive pioneer species.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch, though its abundant pollen can trigger seasonal allergies in sensitive individuals. Seeds easily cling to clothing and animal fur; brush off your gear before leaving the area to prevent spreading this highly invasive species to non-native habitats.
Eragrostis curvula is a species of grass known by the common name weeping lovegrass . Other common names include Boer lovegrass , curved lovegrass , Catalina lovegrass , and African lovegrass .
Photo: Ed Alverson, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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