Promoting the Use of Native Plant Species in the Home Landscape

Grasses

Grasses can be classified as any of many low, green, nonwoody plants belonging to the grass family (Poaceae), the sedge family (Cyperaceae), and the rush family (Juncaceae). There are many grasslike members of other flowering plant families, but only the approximately 10,000 species in the family Poaceae are true grasses.

Dune Grass or Beach Grass

Leafy, spreading, strongly rhizomatous grass, producing up to of 100 stems per clump annually. This cool season perennial grass species will spread up to 6-10 feet annually by subsurface rhizomes. Best time to plant is from October 1 to March 30.

Big Bluestem

Seed heads in Aug-Nov

Side-oats Grama

Small bright purple and orange flowers are especially attractive when the grass blooms. Deer Resistant. Plant in Spring to Early Summer.

Blue-joint Grass

Purplish color when in flower.

Muskingum Sedge, Palm Sedge

Yellow

Pennsylvania Sedge

Flowers bloom in late spring (May) in inflorescences atop rough, sharply triangular culms(stems) which rise up singly from rhizomes.

Plantain Leaved Sedge

Separate staminate(male) and pistillate (female) spikes, with a single staminate spike up to about 3/4" long at the top of the stem. Below the staminate spike are 2 to 4 widely spaced, cylindric, all-pistillate spikes each up to 1 inch long on a short, erect stalk, the lowest spike usually near the base.

Tussock Sedge

1-3 narrow male spikes above the fruited female spikes (2-5 spikes). Female scales pointed or rounded at the tips.

Bottlebrush Grass

Blooms begin as green, turning to brown. Bristle-tipped seeds are white.

Soft Rush, Common Rush

Small greenish or brownish flower in dense spikes or heads or sometimes in loose clusters or even solitary.

June Grass

Silvery green, spike-like seedheads.

Green Bulrush

Brown

Wool Grass

Flowers in 6 to 12 inch clusters, Fruit is brown to yellow-brown.

Blue-eyed Grass

Six-petaled, violet-blue, starlike flowers are solitary or in small clusters at the tip of long flowering stalks.

Praire Dropseed

Flowers have pink and brown tints, but are perhaps most noted for their unique fragrance.

Indian Grass

Flowering occurs in late summer. The tiny, yellow to bronze-colored flowers occur on moderately dense clusters held above the foliage. The flowers are wind pollinated.

Little Bluestem

Flowering occurs in late summer into early autumn. They tiny, green to white flowers occur on spikes. The flowers are wind pollinated.

Northern Sea Oats

Flowering occurs in mid to late summer (July to August). The tiny, green flowers are in flat spikelet held on a thin, arching stalk. The flowers are wind pollinated.

Switch Grass

Flowering occurs in mid-summer. The tiny pink to reddish flowers occur on open, airy clusters called panicles. The flowers are wind pollinated.