Purple needle grass (Nassella Pulchra), is found throughout Poly Canyon and all over campus. Some characteristics of the purple needle grasses are, they can grow in most any type of soil, in almost any condition. They are able to survive droughts. The reason is that their roots can grow extremely long. Some roots grow to be over 20 feet. The purple needle grass is found in scattered clumps. The reason for this is so the plants are not competing with each other for water. They are one of the few remaining green plants during the late spring months. When precipitation is scarce and the temperatures are high these plants grow drastically.

CAED