Wisconsin Native Grasses
Native grasses formed the foundation of the expanses of prairies, savannas and meadows that once covered the greater midwest. They are a natural component, or the basis, of any designed native landscape — offering the perfect complement to native wildflowers in both naturalized and formal settings.
Natie grasses can be incorporated individually as ornamental or structural elements. They can also be grouped or massed, or they can serve as a matrix in a designed plant community. Native grasses add striking fall color and visual interest well into winter; they provide food, nesting materials and habitat cover for birds; and they serve as host plants for numerous butterfly and moth species, as well.
Cool season, warm season.
Grasses that mature early in the growing season and grow while the soil is still cool are referred to as “cool season” grasses. Virginia Wild Rye and Tufted Hairgrass are cool season grasses. Sedges are also cool season growers. Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem and Prairie Dropseed are all warm season grasses.
Establishing A Native Grass Lawn provides information on how to replace non-native turf grasses with Wisconsin native grasses.
Native Grass | Season | Wetland | Erosion
Control |
Benefit | Ornamental | Ground
Cover |
Buffalograss | Warm | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Big Bluestem | Warm | No | Yes | Bird | No | No |
Sideoats Grama | Warm | No | No | Birds | No | No |
Virginia Wild Rye | Cool | No | Yes | Butterflies | No | No |
Indian Grass | Warm | No | Yes | Butterflies | No | No |
Little Bluestem | Warm | No | No | Butterflies | Yes | No |
Fox Sedge | Warm | Yes | No | N/A | No | No |
Pennsylvania Sedge | Cool | No | No | N/A | No | Yes |
Prairie Dropseed | Warm | No | No | Butterflies | No | Yes |
Pink Muhly Grass | Warm | No | Yes | Birds | Yes | No |
Vanilla Sweet Grass | Cool | Yes | No | N/A | No | No |
Tufted Hair Grass | Cool | No | Yes | Butterflies | Yes | No |
![]() Height: 3-9 inches Bloom: Jun, Jul, Aug Sun: Full Sun Zones: 4, 5 Soil: Acid, Clay, Loam Moisture: Dry, Medium |
Description: Buffalograss, Buchloe dactyloides, is a dioecious, drought-tolerant, heat-resistant, fine-textured, warm season perennial grass. It spreads by stolons. Somewhat inconspicuous green flowers bloom from June until August. Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. |
![]() Height: 5-8 feet Bloom: Aug, Sep, Oct Sun: Full Sun Zones: 3, 4, 5 Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand Moisture: Dry, Medium, Moist |
Description: Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) is a tall perennial, warm season grass that was the dominant grass of the tallgrass prairie. It may be grown as an ornamental grass because of its attractive foliage which changes color seasonally, its good architectural height and its interesting flower/seed heads. |
![]() Height: 2-3 feet Bloom: Aug, Sep Sun: Full Sun Zones: 3, 4, 5 Soil: Sand, Loam Moisture: Dry, Medium |
Description: Side-oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), is a rarity among native grasses in that it sports tiny attractive flowers during its summer bloom time. When the seed heads dry, they have a distinctly oat-like appearance. Side-oats is a warm-season grass that grows actively during the summer months when soil temperatures are warm. May be mowed for turf grass. |
![]() Height: 4-5 feet Bloom: Jul, Aug Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade Zones: 2, 3, 4, 5 Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand Moisture: Medium, Moist, Wet |
Description: Virginia Wild Rye (Elymus virginicus) is a graceful, short-lived perennial similar to Canada Wild Rye, but with a smaller, less showy seed head. It actively grows during the spring and fall when soil temperatures are cool.As a fast-growing grass, Virginia Wild Rye is a good choice for erosion control and stream bank stabilization. It prefers rich, moist areas in clearings or along the forest edge, but can also grow in drier, sunny conditions as well. |
![]() Height: 5-8 feet Bloom: Aug, Sep Sun: Full Sun Zones: 3, 4, 5 Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand Moisture: Dry, Medium, Moist |
Description: Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) is a warm season perennial grass which typically occurs in prairies, glades and open woods. It was one of the dominant grasses of the tallgrass prairie which once covered large parts of the Midwest. It forms upright clumps of slender, blue-green leaves Foliage turns orange-yellow in fall and usually retains hints of color into the winter. Effective for erosion control |
![]() Height: 2-4 feet Bloom: Aug to Feb Sun: Full Sun Zones: 3, 4, 5 Soil: Loam Moisture: Dry, Medium |
Description: Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), a native to prairies, fields, clearings, hills, limestone glades, roadsides, waste areas and open woods. It was one of the dominant grasses of the vast tallgrass prairie region which once covered rich and fertile soils. Purplish-bronze flowers on branched stems rising above the foliage in August. Flowers are followed by clusters of fluffy, silvery-white seed heads which are attractive and often persist into winter. |
![]() Height: 1-3 feet Bloom: May, Jun, Jul Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun Zones: 3, 4, 5 Soil: Loam Moisture: Wet |
Description: Fox Sedge (Carex vulpinoidea) is a remarkable wetland sedge grows to form clumps two feet in diameter. In mid-summer seedheads spray out from the center of the plant for an excellent effect. Its narrow grass-like leaf blades grow in 2 feet clumps up to 3 feet in height. The seedheads, which spray out attractively from the center of the clump, resemble a foxs tail but are short-lived. |
![]() Height: 6-12 inches Bloom: May Sun: Part Shade, Shade Zones: 3, 4, 5 Soil: Loam Moisture: Dry, Medium |
Description: Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica) is a shade-loving perennial sedge that is native to thickets and dry woodland areas. It typically grows in loose colonies with a creeping habit. Roots are reddish brown. It is often found in areas with oak trees, hence the additional common name of oak sedge. This is a low sedge with soft, delicate, arching, semi-evergreen leaves. It typically grows in a clump. It is semi-evergreen in moderately cold winter climates. |
![]() Height: 2-3 feet Bloom: Sep, Oct Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade Zones: 5, 6 Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand, Rocky Moisture: Dry, Medium |
Description: Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is one of the most exciting members of the grass world. It is sought after for several reasons: spectacular pink plume color, drought tolerance and undemanding nature. Pink Muhly Grass grows in a mound with erect, blue-green foliage until September when spectacular, billowing pink seed heads form a cotton-candy crown. |
![]() Height: 2-3 feet Bloom: Aug, Sep Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun Zones: 3, 4, 5 Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand Moisture: Medium |
Description: Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) is a great choice of grass for your native landscape is Prairie Dropseed, also called Northern Dropseed. When seed stalks emerge late summer, brush up against it for a cilantro smell. It has a wonderful tussock-forming growth habit and takes on a nice golden hue all throughout the fall and winter. |
![]() Height: 1-2 feet Bloom: Jul, Aug Sun: Full Sun Zones: 3, 4, 5 Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand Moisture: Medium, Moist |
Description: Vanilla Sweet Grass (Hierocloë odorata) is an aromatic, cool-season perennial growing 10-24 inches in height and spreading about 2 feet per year by underground rhizomes.Its natural habitat is wetlands, prairies, and savannas in wet to medium moisture soils. Though Sweet Grass prefers rich, moist soils, it will grow in almost any soil that receives a minimum of a half day of sun |
![]() Height: 1-3 feet Bloom: June Sun: Part Shade Zones: 4, 5 Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand Moisture: Medium, Moist |
Description: Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) is a clump-forming, cool season grass which is often grown as an ornamental. The grass emerges green and turns gold late in the season, keeping good color and form for winter interest. It typically forms a low, dense tussock (to 16 inches tall) of very thin (1/2 inch wide), arching, flat to inrolled, dark green grass blades (to 2 feet long). Numerous flower stems rise in summer from the foliage mound to a height of 3 feet . |
Other Readings:
Wisconsin Native Flowering Shrubs
Wisconsin Native Fruit Trees
Wisconsin Native Berry Shrubs
Pollinator-Friendly Ground Covers
