Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
The backbone grass of the prairie — blue-green in summer, glowing copper and silver all winter.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
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- Plant guide
- Sideoats Grama
Oat-like, orange anthers
Ornamental grass
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
A tidy mid-height grama hung with one-sided seed oats — the state grass of Texas.
the Great Plainsthe South-Central regionthe desert Southwestthe Midwestthe Mountain West
Growing Sideoats Grama
Wonderfully drought-tough and well-behaved for smaller plantings. The little oat-like seeds dangle from one side of each stem. It’s deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and easy to grow.
Where it grows
Sideoats Grama is native to the Great Plains. In the wild you’ll find it across Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky and 20 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.
Regional Garden shows Sideoats Grama on 30 state pages.
Good for
Sourcing
Where to buy Sideoats Grama
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.
Plant it with
Companions & kin.
Natives that share Sideoats Grama’s range and conditions.
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
A fine, low prairie grass with quirky horizontal 'eyebrow' seed heads — a great no-water lawn.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
The towering 'turkey-foot' grass that once defined the tallgrass prairie, head-high by fall.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Tall golden plumes catch the autumn light above a classic tallgrass-prairie planting.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color