Grasses

Big Bluestem grass with purple tops and large green leaves

NPS Photo

Big Bluestem

This purple topped grass grows to heights of 6 ft. tall and is considered one of the four major grasses of the “Staked Plains.”

Latin Name: Andropogon gerardii

Common Name: Big Bluestem

Habitat: Grows in meadows, prairie, or naturalized areas

Blooming Period: July to October

Fun Fact: Resembles a turkey foot because of its shape and dark purple color

Uses: Can be used in native plant gardens as a screen or accent and the extensive root system helps with erosion control.

 

Indian grass growing at Lake Meredith NRA

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Indian Grass

This golden-topped grass grows to 7 feet high and is considered one of the four primary grasses of the “Staked Plains.” Indian Grass can withstand drought, erosion, and air pollution.

Latin Name: Sorghastrum nutans

Common Name: Indiangrass

Habitat: Rocky and clay soils

Blooming Period: June-August and stays green until the first frost

Fun Fact: Readily grazed by livestock and the leaf resembles a rabbit’s ears

Uses: Provides excellent cover wildlife year-round and songbirds eat the seeds.

 

Little Bluestem can grow up to 5 feet tall.

NPS Photo

Little Bluestem

Little Bluestem is an important grass of the “Staked Plains.” It has a unique blue-green color in the spring and turns reddish-brown during the fall and winter. Little Bluestem is a warm-season grass and grows up to 5 ft. tall.

Latin Name: Schizachyrium scoparium

Common Names: Little Bluestem, Prairie Beardgrass

Habitat: Grows in a wide range of moist to dry habitats on prairies and savannahs

Blooming Period: June to September

Fun Fact: Little Bluestem grass has blue-green foliage in the summer. Its yellow-orange leaves add great interest to the landscape during the fall season.

Uses: This grass is important to ground nesting birds and is grazed by all species of livestock.

 

Switchgrass during winter in the Park

NPS Photo

Switchgrass

This tall, bunchgrass is another important grass of the “Staked Plains.”

Switchgrass grows between 3-7 feet high and has many uses.

Latin Name: Panicum virgatum

Common Name: Switchgrass

Habitat: Wet and dry soils in prairies, open woods, and stream banks

Blooming Period: July to February

Fun Fact: An efficient plant for biofuels and has great potential in this industry

Uses: Food source for wildlife and used for erosion control

 

Buffalo Grass in it's full summer color.

NPS Photo

Buffalo Grass

Buffalo Grass is a perennial grass native to the Great Plains. This grass grows to 8-10 inches with a thin turf and has blue-green color spreading by surface runners and seed.

Latin Name: Bouteloua dactyloides

Common Names: Buffalo Grass, Buffalograss

Habitat: Dry to medium sandy soils

Blooming Period: Early to mid-summer

Fun Facts: The Plains Bison, also known as the American Buffalo, ate this grass. Buffalo Grass is a major component of the shortgrass prairie and is a larval host for Green Skipper Butterflies.

Uses: A drought-tolerant grass used for turf areas and livestock forage