NPS photo
Big Bluestem can reach a height of five feet.
Several types of grassland plant communities are found in the region. The area provides a botanical transition between the tallgrass prairie of more humid areas to the east, and the dryer shortgrass prairie to the west. Sandhills mixed-grass prairie covers the upland country south of the river, with plant species adapted to the sandy conditions.
Table 1. Common mixed-grass prairie plant and forb species.
|
Common Name
|
Scientfic Name
|
|
Sand bluestem
|
Andropogon hallii
|
|
Little bluestem
|
Schizachyrium scoparium
|
|
Needleandthread
|
Stipa comata
|
|
Junegrass
|
Koeleria macrantha
|
|
Prairie sandreed
|
Calamovilfa longifolia
|
|
Sand dropseed
|
Sporobolus asper
|
|
Blue grama
|
Bouteloua gracilis
|
|
Hairy grama
|
Bouteloua hirsuta
|
|
Switchgrass
|
Panicum virgatum
|
|
Louisiana sagewort
|
Artemisia ludoviciana
|
|
Common milkweed
|
Asclepias syriaca
|
|
Leadplant
|
Amorpha canescens
|
|
Scaly blazing star
|
Liatris squarrosa
|
|
Prairie spiderwort
|
Tradescantia occidentalis
|
|
Yucca
|
Yucca glauca
|
|
Wild rose
|
Rosa woodsii
|
Small remnant patches of tallgrass prairie can be found on moist river bottoms. Typical tallgrass prairie species found along the Niobrara River are highlighted in Table 2 below.
Table 2. Common tallgrass prairie plant and forb species.
|
Common Name
|
Scientific Name
|
|
Big bluestem
|
Andropogon gerardii
|
|
Indiangrass
|
Sorghastrum nutans
|
|
Heath aster
|
Aster ericoides
|
|
Annual sunflower
|
Helianthus annuus
|
|
Prairie coneflower
|
Ratibida columnifera
|
