NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Danthonia sericea

Silky Oat-grass, Downy Danthonia

Scientific Name:	Danthonia sericea
Genus:	Danthonia
Species Epithet:	sericea
Common Name:	Silky Oat-grass, Downy Danthonia
Plant Type	Grass/Sedge/Rush
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Poaceae (Grass Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Invasive Status:	^(*Key)
Size:	1-3 ft., 3-6 ft.
Light:	Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day
Soil Moisture:	Dry, Moist
Bloom Time:	April, May, June
Growing Area:	Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain
Habitat Description:	Dry woodlands, especially common in sandy soils in the Coastal Plain, dry oak, oak-pine, and pine forests in the Piedmont and low Mountains, and on dry acidic cliffs and rock outcrops, roadsides and woodland margins. Uncommon in NC mountains, common in piedmont and coastal plain.
Leaf Arrangement:	Alternate, Basal
Leaf Retention:	Deciduous
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Simple
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Has some wildlife value
Landscape Value:	Suitable for home landscapes
State Rank:	S5: Secure ^(*Key)
Global Rank:	G_?: Uncertain (add status to NOTES section) ^(*Key)
Notes:	Global Rank: G5?
Attractive grass with short leaf blades and tall stems. Moore County, NC Cami Gregg
Spikelets are in terminal panicles and have conspicuous awns. Moore County, NC Cami Gregg
Close-up of inflorescence. Note the presence of awns and the white villous hairs which arise from the lemmas. Moore County, NC Cami Gregg
The leaf sheaths are covered in villous hairs. Moore County, NC Cami Gregg
Links:	USDA PLANTS Database Record https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/species_account.php https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DASE2