Purpletop (Tridens flavus ) is a perennial warm-season grass that grows 3-5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It has a rich hue to its foliage as it develops each spring. Purple panicles of spikelets appear July to October.

This is a larval host plant that supports various skipper larvae and the common wood-nymph (Cercyonis pegala) which has one brood from late May to October. This species is also the larval host of a number of butterflies and moths. The plant provides excellent cover year-round. Seed heads are a food source for birds and mammals. It is deer resistant.