Story
Prairie Dropseed
If you’ve had the opportunity to stay in one of Blackberry Mountain’s Stone Cottages, or taken a stroll around the Mountain after a meal at Three Sisters, you’re sure to have noticed the grassy rooftops that cover the cottages. Yes, that’s real grass! And it’s doing more than just helping our accommodations blend into the natural surroundings. Those rooftops are playing their part in benefiting the mountain land.
The live roofs at Blackberry Mountain are planted with prairie dropseed. Prairie dropseed is a tough, drought-tolerant prairie grass that thrives in exposure to full sun. Because of its flowy thin blades, you’ll often see it planted close together in large quantities, which provides protection and food for small local birds and other desired pollinators. On the roofs of the Stone Cottages, the grass also acts as helpful climate control, preventing afternoon Summer heat from entering the accommodation as well as keeping heat in during the Winter season, blocking the low temperatures from having full effect on the cottages.
The emerald-colored blades of grass will change to light brown, yellow or rich orange depending on the season, but regardless of color, the beneficial properties remain the same.
Interested in incorporating prairie dropseed in, on or around your home? Consider finding mature plants rather than starting from seed. This popular, low-maintenance plant begins seeding in late Summer when outdoors, early Spring if indoors, and takes around four years to reach its full size. Prairie dropseed can help support some happy pollinators, which is one of the reasons we planted it at the Mountain, but unwanted pests are not particularly drawn to it, so it won’t attract an overflow of wild visitors.
It’s important to note that prairie dropseed thrives best when planted in dry rocky soils or heavy clay, rather than average planting soil. Ensure the area you plant in is set up to drain well so it never remains too wet. While it can tolerate some shade, it’s really a plant made for the sunshine. It’s extremely heat and drought tolerant once it’s established, so it’s perfect if you’re looking for something to fill a particularly sun-exposed space.
Each time you’re at the Mountain, take a look at the cottage roofs as you go by. The grasses grow and change as a natural part of the landscape, beautiful and beneficial.