Fauna
Plant

Tumble Windmillgrass

Chloris verticillata

Also known as Windmill Grass, Prairie Windmill Grass

Tumble windmillgrass is a low-growing, warm-season perennial grass named for its distinctive seedhead, which features multiple stiff, radiating spikes arranged in whorls like the spokes of an old-fashioned windmill. At maturity, the entire inflorescence detaches cleanly at the base and rolls across open prairies and roadsides like a tumbleweed, casting seeds across the landscape as it catches the breeze. Highly drought-tolerant and adapted to disturbed soils, it often pioneers compacted ground along paths, overgrazed pastures, and urban lawns.

GrassDrought-TolerantWind-Dispersed
Tumble Windmillgrass reference1 / 7
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyAutotrophic (photosynthesis via sunlight, water, and soil minerals)
Predators
  • Bison
  • Domestic Cattle
  • Grasshoppers
ThreatsSevere herbicide application and dense canopy shading from woody encroachment
HabitatsDry prairies, open rangeland, pastures, roadsides, lawns, and waste ground
Life spanPerennial (typically 3–5 years)
Classification
  1. FamilyPoaceae
  2. SpeciesChloris verticillata
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Observation Timing: Search for fully expanded windmill-like seedheads from late spring through early autumn.
  • Seed Dispersal: Watch open fields on windy autumn afternoons to see detached inflorescences rolling across bare ground.
Related species
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