What's eating my purple love grass?

Purple Love Grass is a resilient native prairie grass with very few pest problems. Aphids are the most common nuisance on young growth. Armyworm caterpillars can strip blades during midsummer outbreaks, and rust fungus may appear in humid conditions. Deer and rabbits generally avoid it. Established clumps are tough and rarely need intervention beyond monitoring.

Soft-bodied insects cluster on new growth, leaving honeydew and sooty mould on the fine blades in spring and early summer. Dislodge with a water jet; insecticidal soap spray for persistent colonies; rely on ladybugs, parasitic wasps, and lacewings for ongoing control.

Caterpillars feed in groups at night, rapidly stripping blades down to stubs and leaving ragged, chewed-off foliage across sections of the planting. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or spinosad applied at first sign of feeding; inspect plants after heavy rainfall events when outbreaks are most common.

Orange-brown powdery pustules on leaf blades in humid summers; affected leaves yellow and die back prematurely. Avoid overhead watering; cut back plants hard in late winter to remove infected material; sulfur fungicide if infection is severe.