Add texture to your garden with Indian grass, a native plant that provides shelter and food for wildlife.
Indian grass(Sorghastrum nutans)isan ornamental grassknown for its beauty and wildlife-friendly traits.
It can also serve as a screen in summer.
Credit: Dan Piassick
Plant Indian grass in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.
When choosing a location to site Indian grass, keep its size and bountiful seed production in mind.
To site Indian grass, dig a hole slightly larger than the plant’s root ball.
Credit: Ian Adams
Amend the soil if needed and plant the Indian grass at the same depth it was in its container.
Water immediately and throughout the first year in dry soil conditions.
When siting several Indian grass plants, space them 2 to 3 feet apart.
Credit: Bryan E. McCay
Indian Grass Care Tips
Indian grass is a low-maintenance plant when its relatively undemanding needs are met.
Light
Plant Indian grass ina spot that receives full sun.
It will grow in partial sun but not as vigorously.
Credit: Scott Little
Water the ornamental grass the first year after planting and in periods of drought.
When Indian grass is planted in dry soil, it might require supplemental water after the first year.
The plant goes dormant in cold weather and prefers a dry environment.
Credit: Jay Wilde
Fertilizer
Indian grass requires no fertilization.
It is comfortable growing in infertile soil.
How to Propagate Indian Grass
Indian grass is bestpropagated by seed.
Credit: Denny Schrock
This 3- to 5-foot plant produces blooms in late summer that last until fall.
‘Indian Steel’ is a drought-tolerant prairie grass that is low-maintenance and grows in poor soil.
It prefers full sun in Zones 4-9.
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
‘Bluebird’
Sorgastrum nutansBluebird forms narrow clumps of bluish foliage.
It grows from 3 to 5 feet, sometimes taller, and spreads 2 to 3 feet wide.
This punch in of Indian grass thrives in Zones 4-9.
‘Sioux Blue’ reaches 5 to 6 feet tall.
Tan-yellow flowers on narrow, feathery 12-inch panicles appear above the foliage in late summer to early fall.
The panicles turn bronze in the fall and provide interest into the winter.
Zones 4-9 are the hardiest for this variety of Indian grass.
The plant, hardy in Zones 4-9, tolerates full sun to partial shade and rich to poor soils.
Blue-green stems in summer turn to a bronzy reddish brown in the fall.
The bee balm cultivar attracts many pollinators, and its leaves are extremely fragrant when rubbed or crushed.
Goldenrod
The golden yellow flowers ofgoldenrodbloom in late summer and fall in Zones 2-8.
Some varieties are not garden-friendly, but others do work well for yard landscaping.
One amiable pop in is showy goldenrod,Solidagospeciosa, which grows to about 3 feet tall.
Once the flowers begin to fade, the seeds ripen and puff up to add late-season interest.
Aster
Easy-to-grow astercomes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
They are a delight incutting gardensand sunny or lightly shaded borders and grow well in Zones 3-9.
Garden Plan for Indian Grass
Prairie Garden Plan
A native garden means prairie-inspired plantings.
This stunning prairie garden design is full ofblooming perennialsand ornamental grasses indigenous to the Midwest.
Cut a trench around the plant to prevent spread, and deadhead it to limit self-seeding.
This grass grows rapidly and typically is mature in its second year after the seed is sown.
Indian grass is commonly found in pastures, as livestock enjoys grazing on the perennial plant throughout summer.
“Natives to Know: Indian Grass (sorghastrum nutans).”
Wild Ones River City Grand Rapids Area.
“Sorghastrum nutans.”
