Inland Sea Oats

A vital larval host plant for Central Texas butterflies including Pepper & Salt Skipper Butterfly, Bell's Road Side Skipper Butterfly, and Bronzed Roadside Skipper Butterfly, Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) is a deciduous Texas native grass native across the Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies, and Western Gulf Coastal Plain. It features distinctive green foliage. During Summer and Fall, the plant produces green blooms. Flowering is followed by tan fruit that adds seasonal contrast. It plays a key ecological role as a larval host plant for Central Texas butterflies, including Pepper & Salt Skipper Butterfly, Bell's Road Side Skipper Butterfly, and Bronzed Roadside Skipper Butterfly. Seeds eaten by small mammals and granivorous birds. Leaves provide graze for mammals. Stems and leaves used as nesting material by birds. Thriving in calcareous, clay, limestone, loam, moist, poor drainage, and sand, Inland Sea Oats demonstrates outstanding hardiness once established. It requires minimal supplemental water and tolerates dry spells with ease. It offers high deer resistance.