Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Turns cotton-candy pink as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, cotton-candy pink flowers.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
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Native Ornamental Grasses
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together.
Tip: open your state below for the version of this list filtered to plants native to your region and hardy in your zone.
The plants
9 native species in this collection.
Native grasses are the connective tissue of a natural planting, weaving between the flowers, holding the soil, and standing handsome through the whole winter. Warm-season grasses want full sun and lean soil and green up late, so don't give up on them in May. Cut everything back to a hand's height in late winter, just before new growth, and that's the entire job.
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Fine-textured native grass weaving the planting together, 8–16 in wide.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
A grass for movement and bird seed, 12–18 in wide.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Catches the low autumn light, turning bronze-purple seed heads and standing 4–7 ft tall right through the snow.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Summer texture, bronze-gold plumes autumn color, and winter standing presence on a 4–7 ft-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
A grass for structure and bird seed, turning blue-green to copper and standing 2–4 ft tall through the cold.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
A grass for movement and bird seed, happy in rocky and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Turns fine emerald to amber as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
A native grass that glows airy pink-gold panicles and stands through winter, 3–6 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Browse by state
Grasses, near you.
Native ranges differ across the country — open your state for the list that actually applies to your yard.
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Sourcing
Where to find grasses plants
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.