Technical Resources

Table of Grasses for Landscape Accents

Cool-Season Native Grasses for Landscape Accents
Species	Cultivars	Life-form	Mature Height	Fall Color	Prefers Sandy Soil	Prefers Loamy Soil	Prefers Clayey Soil	Remarks
Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides	Rimrock Nezpar Paloma	bunchgrass	1-2 ft.	pale yellow	yes	yes	no	attractive spreading seed head,seeds utilized by birds & mammals
basin wildrye Leymus cinereus	Trailhead Magnar	bunchgrass	5-8 ft.	yellow/tan	no	yes	yes	tall stature, good background plant
bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata	Goldar	bunchgrass	1-2 ft.	pale yellow	yes	yes	yes	state grass of Montana,attractive plant at maturity
prairie junegrass Koeleria macrantha	No releases	bunchgrass	6-18 in.	pale yellow	yes	yes	yes	small stature, delicate blue-green leaves with compact seed head

Warm-Season Native Grasses for Landscape Accents
Species	Cultivars	Life-form	Mature Height	Fall Color	Prefers Sandy Soil	Prefers Loamy Soil	Prefers Clayey Soil	Remarks
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Bison Bonilla Sunnyview	bunchgrass	5-7 ft.	reddish/ purple	yes	yes	yes	tall stature, turkey-foot shaped seed head, good border or background plant
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Badlands selection Camper Blaze	bunchgrass	2-3 ft.	reddish	yes	yes	yes	shorter robust bunches with attractive red fall colors
switchgrass Panicum virgatum	Dacotah Forestburg	bunchgrass	3-5 ft.	golden yellow		yes	yes	seed head is an open seeds readily used by birds and small mammals
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans	Tomahawk	bunchgrass	4-6 ft.	yellow/ bronze	yes	yes	yes	tall stature, good border or background plant
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Killdeer	bunchgrass	1-2 ft.	yellow	yes	yes	yes	unique seed head with oat-like spikelets along one side of spike
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis	Bad River selection Willis Alma	bunchgrass	6-12 in.	pale yellow	yes	yes	yes	eyebrow-shaped seed head, excellent drought tolerance, good for rock garden
prairie sandreed Calamovilfa longifolia	Goshen Pronghorn	rhizomatous	5-7 ft.	pale yellow	yes	yes	no	prefers sandy soil, good for sandy soil stabilization