Calamovilfa longifolia (Sand Reed Grass)
Calamovilfa longifolia (Sand Reed Grass)
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$30 minimum per species for seed.
$30 minimum per species for seed.
Each species requires a minimum of $30 of seed to proceed with checkout.
Pure Live Seed
Pure Live Seed
Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.
Pure Live Seed (PLS) refers to the percentage of a seed lot that consists of the desired species and is viable (capable of germination).
Here's why PLS is crucial for native seeds:
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Accurate Planting:
- PLS helps determine the actual number of viable seeds in a given weight or volume of seed.
- This ensures you plant the correct amount of seed to achieve the desired density and success rate.
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Cost-Effectiveness:
- By knowing the PLS, you can avoid overspending on seed that may not germinate.
- This is especially important for native seeds, which can be more expensive than some cultivated varieties.
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Weed Control:
- PLS helps minimize the presence of weed seeds within the seed lot.
- This reduces competition for resources and ensures the successful establishment of the desired native plants.
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Ecological Restoration:
- Using high-quality native seeds with a high PLS is essential for successful ecological restoration projects.
- It helps to re-establish diverse and resilient plant communities that support local wildlife.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces
- 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
- 0.25 pounds = 4 ounces
- 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
- 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
- 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces
Sand Reed Grass (Calamovilfa longifolia) is a tall, spreading warm-season grass adapted to sandy ground. Its colony-forming growth gives it a substantial role in sand prairie and dune vegetation. Choose a well-drained site with room for expansion; a high water table or early spring flooding can make the site unsuitable.
Check the product options above for the available format and quantity.
Plant specifications & ecological relationships
Key growing facts
| Height | 2–6 ft (Illinois account) |
|---|
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
| Growth habit | Sod-forming perennial grass (Illinois account) |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 5.6–8.4 |
| Drought tolerance | High |
| Salt tolerance | Low |
Plant identification & seed reference
| Botanical name | Calamovilfa longifolia |
|---|---|
| Seed germination | USDA lists cold stratification as not required; seed-lot response may vary. |
| Seeds per pound — reference estimate | 274000 |
Plant characteristics
As its name would suggest, Sand Reed Grass enjoys growing in dunes and sandy soils along the great lakes and certain sand prairies and savannas. It will eventually spread to make colonies through its rhizomes and aid in stabilization.
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associates
Other regional plant communities
These plants are named with this species in published vegetation accounts. Each list keeps its community and region; some records describe a shared vegetation type rather than neighboring plants in a measured plot. They are ecological records, not a planting recipe, and may include plants unsuitable for a particular garden.
- Lake Michigan sand prairie (Illinois Beach State Park, Illinois): Schizachyrium scoparium, Solidago nemoralis.
- Sand prairie (Sand Prairie Scrub Oak Nature Preserve, Illinois): Schizachyrium scoparium, Robinia pseudoacacia, Tephrosia virginiana, Tradescantia ohiensis, Ambrosia psilostachya, Opuntia humifusa.
- Dry Red River Valley sites (Manitoba and Minnesota): Hesperostipa comata.
- Open upper dune slopes and ridges (Nebraska Sandhills): Bouteloua hirsuta.
- Sandy uplands (Mixed- and tallgrass prairie range): Hesperostipa comata, Koeleria macrantha, Andropogon gerardii var. paucipilus, Sporobolus cryptandrus, Bouteloua curtipendula.
- Dune slopes and bottoms (Nebraska Sandhills): Schizachyrium scoparium, Bouteloua hirsuta, Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa comata, Panicum virgatum, Muhlenbergia pungens, Andropogon gerardii var. gerardii, Andropogon gerardii var. paucipilus.
- South-facing coulees (Alberta): Rhus trilobata, Pascopyrum smithii.
- Mixed-grass prairie (Saskatchewan): Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa comata, Pascopyrum smithii.
- Little Missouri floodplain cottonwood woodland ground layer (North Dakota): Populus deltoides, Poa pratensis, Melilotus officinalis.
- Mixed-grass prairie (Northwestern South Dakota): Pascopyrum smithii, Hesperostipa comata, Schizachyrium scoparium, Nassella viridula, Muhlenbergia pungens.
- Sandhill prairie and sandy grasslands (Colorado): Artemisia filifolia, Hesperostipa comata, Andropogon gerardii var. paucipilus.
- Shale slopes with shrubs and grasses (Central Montana): Artemisia tridentata, Chrysothamnus nauseosus, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Rosa arkansana, Pascopyrum smithii, Pseudoroegneria spicata.
- Dune communities (Lake Huron): Elymus canadensis.
- Sandy prairie (Northeastern Colorado): Liatris punctata.
Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
| C-value* — Corps Chicago 2017 assessment | 8 |
|---|---|
| Native range — U.S. states | Colorado; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; New Mexico; New York; North Dakota; Ohio; Pennsylvania; South Dakota; Washington; Wisconsin; Wyoming |
| County nativity | Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity. |
Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlifeNo verified list yet
No additional named relationships have been verified for this listing.
Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions
What are the ideal growing conditions for Sand Reed Grass?
Calamovilfa longifolia performs best in full sun with dry (sand dunes, sand prairies & sandy blowouts) conditions. It thrives in authentic regional soil types ranging from sandy loam to well-drained clay loams.
How do I germinate and establish Sand Reed Grass from seed?
Seed of Calamovilfa longifolia has a germination code of Code A (no pre-treatment required). Seeds can be sown directly in spring into warm, prepared soil.
Is Sand Reed Grass deer and herbivore resistant?
Yes. Native plants adapted to Midwestern habitats naturally produce protective secondary compounds and fibrous textures that make them highly resistant to deer, rabbits, and other grazing herbivores.
When should I expect Sand Reed Grass to emerge and bloom?
Established plants break dormancy in spring as soil temperatures warm, developing vigorous foliage before blooming in their seasonal window to provide vital nectar when native pollinators need it most.
Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes
Plant communities: USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System (FEIS): Bouteloua hirsuta; Calamovilfa longifolia; Elymus canadensis; Liatris punctata. Selected association facts regrouped in original wording; regional scope retained. No source photographs or captions reproduced.
Appearance and site selection: USDA Forest Service FEIS. Selected botanical facts checked 7 September 2026; introduction written by Natural Communities.
C-value assessment: USACE Chicago 2017 fallback; source taxon Calamovilfa longifolia. The asterisk identifies an alternative assessment. It does not resolve a missing Flora taxonomic match.
State nativity: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 4 June 2026 release; taxon Sporobolus rigidus var. rigidus. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Only records marked native, not extinct and not doubtful are included. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data; no Kew endorsement is implied.
Chicago-region nativity, U.S. state nativity and county occurrence are separate assessments. County nativity has not yet been verified for this listing. These records do not describe the origin of the stock offered for sale.
C-value source: USACE Chicago Region FQA (2017), fallback assessment. Matched source taxon: Calamovilfa longifolia. Retained audited fallback; species complex/rank limit applies.
Sources checked September 5, 2026. Regional assessments and growing observations apply to their stated settings. Unverified fields are omitted; missing information does not mean an ecological relationship is absent.
- naturalcommunities.net. Limited botanical facts presented in Natural Communities’ own wording. Source-specific observations retain their stated scope; photographs, original descriptive prose and compiled relationship tables are excluded. Supports: Botanical Name.
- USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication. Supports: C-value — USACE Chicago Region FQA 2017; Chicago-region native status.
- USDA NRCS PLANTS — taxon profile and characteristics. USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, checked September 5, 2026. Numeric and categorical taxon-level facts only; no photographs or third-party guide prose reproduced. Supports: Drought Tolerance; Germination Code; Salt Tolerance; Seeds per pound — USDA reference estimate; Soil pH Range.
- Illinois Wildflowers — John Hilty. Limited botanical facts presented in Natural Communities’ own wording. Source-specific observations retain their stated scope; photographs, original descriptive prose and compiled relationship tables are excluded. Supports: Height; Spread Habit.
- USDA Forest Service — FEIS, wildflower accounts and seed manual. Fryer, Janet L. 2011. Amorpha canescens. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System. Public-domain synthesis; community records retain their reported geography. Supports: Documented community associate: Amorpha canescens.
- USDA Forest Service — FEIS, wildflower accounts and seed manual. Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Elymus canadensis. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System. Public-domain synthesis; community records retain their reported geography. Supports: Documented community associate: Elymus canadensis.
The linked Illinois plant relationships were reconciled with INHS-hosted source inventories on September 6, 2026. Same-remnant pairs were calculated from shared named-site occurrences and organized for this catalog; they are not copied narrative descriptions or proof of microsite compatibility.
Historical botanical names remain visible where used by the source. These regional accounts supplement the available Chicago Flora evidence.
Regional assessment details
C-value: 8* — USACE Chicago 2017 fallback; alternative dataset, not a verified Flora database 80 value for this listing. Chicago-region status: Chicago Flora assessment unavailable for this listing.
Verified state nativity: Colorado; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Michigan; Minnesota; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; New Mexico; New York; North Dakota; Ohio; Pennsylvania; South Dakota; Washington; Wisconsin; Wyoming (WCVP taxon: Sporobolus rigidus var. rigidus)
County nativity: Not yet verified for this listing. County occurrence is not a county-native assessment.
Plant Shipping & Care
Plant Shipping & Care
We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.
As a reminder, you will receive an email to confirm your pickup or shipping window just before the plants are ready. See Order Fulfillment below for seasonal fulfillment windows.
Choices to Receive Your Plants & Accessories
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- We do not offer retail pick up
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Order Fulfilment - When Your Plants or Other Items Will Be Ready
We take orders all year long and seed is shipped all year, but we only provide the plants to you in certain fulfillment windows to ensure healthy plants.
Wholesale Orders
- Shipped or are Ready For Pick Up As Requested.
Retail & Website Orders
- Seed Typically Ships Out Within One Week Of Order All Year Long
- Typically, single species flats ship when ready, sometimes as soon as early to mid-April (depends on weather) through early-October.
- Mixed species kits are batched and shipped as indicated on the product page.
- If a plant order is placed while outside of the plant fulfillment window your plants will be reserved through your payment, however, the order will not be fulfilled and shipped until the following spring. We don't want to provide you plants when they won't be happy during the cold winter months.
- Early in the spring and later in the fall certain species may be dormant or partially dormant with brown leaves, however they will return to grow healthy next growing season.
- Your order may arrive in several different shipments.
- If certain plants within an order will not be available until a later date, we may choose to hold the full order until all are ready. In certain circumstances, we may choose to send them in two separate shipments
- Fulfillment is always dependent upon plant availability. We try our best but sometimes plants do not overwinter well and perish. If a plant is on back order you will receive an email indicating the estimated shipping date. If we can not provide the plant we will first notify you and give you an option of substitution or a refund of that individual species.
- Plants are typically only packaged and shipped on Mondays to ensure they do not sit in the harsh delivery facility for extended periods of time over the weekend. You will receive a confirmation email once your delivery has been shipped and to estimate your delivery date.
- Apparel & accessories are ready typically within one to two weeks. See product page for holiday shipping.
Where We Ship
What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery
- Your plants will be packaged with the utmost care
- We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.
Shipments
- Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.
What to Do With Your Plants After Receiving Your Delivery
- Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
- Inspect for damage and report any issues immediately to Natives@NaturalCommunities.net
- Water your plants
- Install your plants as quickly as possible and water the entire garden area thoroughly
- If you cannot install your plants immediately
- Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
- Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
- Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
- No additional fertilizer is needed
Seed Shipping & Care
Seed Shipping & Care
There is a minimum order requirement of $30 for each seed species. Seed ships all year and typically ships within a week of an order being placed.
We have attempted to put together some basic information regarding native seed installation, establishment, and maintenance. We hope you find it helpful. If you need further assistance on native seed establishment, please schedule a free consolation call here.
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