Purple three awn grows erect of 16 inches in height

• Densely cushion tufted, sharp pointed basal leaves.
• Look “fine” in appearance and grow usually about six inches long.
• Flower heads are panicles with narrow but not stiff spikelets, short, single flowered and purple.
• Has three separate awns (narrow, bristle like appendage, usually at tip or dorsal surface) attached to a seed, thus giving the name.

For a complete Refuge species list

For in-depth plant information
connect with the U.S. Dept Agriculture Plant Data Base

Last Updated: 1/14/09

Plants that grow naturally on this short grass prairie are called "native" plants. The Refuge has four major groups.

• Grasses
• Wildflowers
• Shrubs
• Trees

Vegetation on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal is a mixture of different grasses, shrubs. semi-shrubs, forbes and wildflowers.

Several species of prairie grass grow on the Refuge but the most common are the perennial BLUE GRAMA and WESTERN WHEAT GRASS.

Learn more about prairie grasses at
FRONT RANGE LIVING.