The dropseeds are prairie type grasses, enjoying full sun and ideally a warm spot. They are clump-forming, deciduous, producing flowers high above the foliage, often in a frothy mass. Should be fairly drought tolerant.
Tussock-forming species in this genus provide protected environments for the overwintering of beneficial insects such as ladybirds. In their native North America leaves are the food plants for the larvae of moths and the seeds are food for finches and sparrows; while evidence about these values over here is sparse, similar uses are possible.