Add this short native grass to your garden for season-long interest and shelter and food for birds and butterflies.
Your yard becomes a habitat for native plants and wildlife.
As a native plant, sideoats grama attracts pollinators and birds.
Credit:Agnieszka KwiecieńShow extended details / Wikimedia Commons
Purplish-tinged flowers appear on arching stems above the foliage in early to mid-summer.
The flowers fade as the seeds mature.
It grows well in dry, sunny problem areas, such as along house foundations and around deck supports.
Credit:Kritsada Panichgul
It does best in full sun.
This plant forms clumps and doesn’t self-sow excessively but is easy to grow from seed.
Sideoats Grama Care Tips
Sideoats grama doesn’t have major problems.
Credit: John Reed Forsman
This warm-season grass uses the entire growing season, producing flowers in late summer into fall.
Taller companion plants may create too much shade or flop onto this shorter plant.
Light
A deer-resistant plant native to North America, sideoats grama thrives in sunny locations.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Plant it infull sun for best growth, although it tolerates partial shade.
Soil and Water
Plant nursery plants in medium to dry soil.
It grows well in hot, dry areas.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is not necessary after the plants are established.
Seedlings benefit from an software ofhigh nitrogen fertilizer, following the directions on the package.
Pruning
No pruning is necessary.
In a garden bed, cut back the plants to 4 inches in late winter or early spring.
Potting and Repotting
Sideoats grama is a grass that is infrequently grown in containers.
However, single plants can grow in 1-2 gallon pots with excellent drainage and well-draining soil.
Place the containers in full sun and water them sparingly.
Cut the plants back to 4 inches in late winter or early spring.
No repotting is needed.
Pests and Problems
Sideoats grama is relatively free of pests and diseases.
How to Propagate Sideoats Grama Grass
Propagate sideoats grama by root division or seed.
Division:Divide sideoats grama in late fall or early spring while the plants are dormant.
Dig up the entire clump and use a sharp spade or saw to cut the clump in half.
Immediately replant the two divisions.
This sounds simple, but the root system of sideoats grama is notoriously lengthy.
Roots can reach 6 feet long.
Wait until they dry out to store them until spring.
Sow the seedoutsidein a prepared bed three to four weeks before the temperature in your area usually reaches 50F.
Germination usually occurs in about three weeks.
Start the seedsindoorsin spring in 4-inch peat pots by pressing three seeds 1/4 inch into potting soil.
Keep the soil moist and place the pots in a brightly lit, warm location until the seeds germinate.
Thin to the strongest seedling in each pot.
Transplant the seedlings outside after the weather warms.
Types of Sideoats Grama
There are two native varieties of sideoats grama.
It excels in erosion control and is attractive in a garden setting.
Growing to 3 feet tall, it blooms from July to September.
It produces seed three times a year and has been widely used as forage for livestock since its introduction.
It grows 1-3 feet tall.
It adapts to high elevations and grows well on medium and heavy soils.
It grows to 23 feet.
Be careful not to weed it out.
Plants in theAsclepiasgenus provide food for the larvae (caterpillars) of the monarch butterfly.
Sedges
Somesedges(Carexspecies)grow well in sun, but most prefer shade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes,Bouteloua gracilis,blue grama, has flying seedheads that resemble eyebrows.
It is native to the Midwest and the Great Plains.
Growing 2 to 3 feet tall in dry, sunny locations, blue grama leaves turn orange-brown in fall.
The plant crown spreads slowly.
