Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Digitaria californica is a species of grass known by the common name Arizona cottontop. It is native to the Americas, where it can be found in the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. This perennial grass forms a clump of stems reaching up to a meter in height. The branching root system can reach one meter deep. There are no rhizomes or stolons. The leaf sheaths around the stems can be very hairy to woolly. The leaves are usually short and narrow. The inflorescence is a dense, narrow panicle containing pairs of woolly-haired spikelets.

Plant type

Grass

Size

2 - 4 ft Tall

Form

Upright

Growth rate

Fast

Calscape icon
Color

White

Flowering season

Summer

Soil description

Prefers sandy or loamy soils. Does not grow well in clay soils.

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 1 likely

Confirmed Likely

Fiery Skipper

Hylephila phyleus