Two-thirds of the great state of Texas was once covered in ancient grasslands, from the mountains and foothills of the Trans-Pecos, the Rolling Plains, and the Edwards Plateau, to the tallgrass and true prairies of the Blackland, Cross Timbers, and Gulf Coast prairies. Grasslands are deeply rooted in Texas culture; without these heritage landscapes, emblems of our identity– things like cowboys, bluebonnets, barbecues, and rodeos (not to mention the Cowboys, Longhorns, Spurs, Aggies, Mavericks, and Rangers)– would seem awfully out of place.
Texas leads the United States when it comes to diversity of grasses, with over 570 species, subspecies, and varieties. They are among the most economically important of all flowering plants; the state’s major croplands and rangelands are cultivated on land made rich and fertile by native prairies that were plowed long ago. In fact, less than one percent of the state’s original grasslands remain intact.
Since these plant communities perform essential ecosystem functions like water supply and flow regulation, carbon storage, erosion control, climate mitigation, and preservation of biodiversity (including many threatened and endangered species, like the lesser prairie chicken or the swift fox), the devastation of our grasslands puts enormous pressure on our natural resources and pits our economic needs against the health and survival of the ecosystems we depend on.
Restoring these precious landscapes can begin at home with just a single seed– growing native grasses in your own garden is a way to bring the prairie home, limiting the destructive effects of human activities like land conversion and urban sprawl, while at the same time supporting pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. Here are some of the best native Texas grasses for your backyard.
1) Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Little bluestem was once Texas’s most prevalent grass species, dominating the prairies, plains, and savannas that, before European settlement, covered two-thirds of the state. Though grasslands have been largely displaced by croplands and cities, little bluestem (or prairie beardgrass) is still a fundamental component of those that remain or have been restored in North America. This warm-season perennial bunchgrass has a broad native distribution across the United States and Canada– because of its expansive range, little bluestem exhibits significant ecotype variation.
Sourcing seeds and plants as close to home as possible will help ensure their success in a given site, as some horticultural selections will not have the same ability as regional natives to adapt to local climates and environments. Luckily, this species needs no special breeding or genetic manipulation to perform well in a garden setting. Little bluestem grows in a tidy tuft 2 – 4 ft tall and creates a symphony of color through the seasons. Spring and summer foliage is fine-textured and blue-green, changing first to brassy gold in the fall and deepening to cinnamon after a frost. Its inflorescences are deep purple spikes that rise above the foliage and mature into satiny white seed heads on rust-colored culms.
Little bluestem is one of the best grasses for nesting and roosting habitat, and the seeds are a valuable food source for small mammals and winter grassland birds– particularly meadowlarks, prairie chickens, quail, and goldfinches. It is a larval host for many species of skipper butterflies. Little bluestem adapts to a variety of well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade and is drought-tolerant. Naturalize it in wildflower meadows, plant it en masse, or use it as an accent in perennial beds and borders.
2) Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
Sideoats grama is a deep-rooted, warm-season perennial grass native to much of the Western Hemisphere, from south-central Canada down to Argentina. It was named the State Grass of Texas in 1971 and can be found growing in prairies, open brushlands, forest clearings, and on rocky slopes– often with little bluestem. Two distinct forms are recognized: the variety curtipendula is rhizomatous and colony-forming, reaching 8 – 14 in; and the variety caespitosa is an individual bunchgrass that grows 12 – 36 in tall, spreads by seed, and is restricted to the southwest.
Bouteloua species are likely the most important native pasture grasses in terms of economic and forage value in the western United States– there are at least 17 in Texas. Sideoats grama is palatable and nutritious for all classes of livestock and cures well for winter storage. The Kiowa people have long known it as good fodder, and many tribes used its cousin blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) to make porridge, bread, and pones.
Sideoats grama is fair forage for wildlife, including pronghorn, elk, and deer, and provides good nesting cover for grassland birds. Turkeys are fond of the seeds. It makes a handsome accent plant for home gardens, with blue-green leaves and stems that mature to a rusty-gold color in the fall. The seed head is a zigzag rachis with green or blonde spikelets arranged on one side, resembling oats– in midsummer, they have striking red anthers. Mix it with spring wildflowers for year-round interest. Sideoats grama prefers fine-textured and moderately alkaline soils but adapts well to a variety of sites. Plant it in full sun or partial shade; this plant is highly drought-tolerant. This species is a larval host for skipper butterflies.
3) Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
The undisputed ‘King of the Prairie,’ big bluestem or turkeyfoot is a warm-season perennial bunchgrass native to a large swath of the Western Hemisphere, from Canada south through Mexico to Costa Rica– it is rare west of Arizona in the United States. In Texas, it is most abundant in the Central Plains but is also a major element of moist grasslands, low meadows, and various prairie ecosystems throughout the state.
Big bluestem is the star component of the ‘Big Four’ species that characterize tallgrass prairies of central North America (the other three are Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)), and is the tallest of the bunch. Its blue-green leaves rise 3 – 10 ft high, and its fibrous roots can reach 12 ft deep into the earth.
Big bluestem and other native plants growing in grasslands form upside-down forests that rival rainforests as carbon sinks– in an unstable future where climate change makes fire and drought more likely, prairie ecosystems may be better at retaining sequestered greenhouse gases in the event of burns or long dry spells. Big bluestem is actually rejuvenated by fire, having evolved to withstand blazes caused by lightning strikes or indigenous stewardship (with controlled burn practices dating back millennia)– it regenerates from its tough rhizomes, and the carbon released by the burn is washed back into the soil with rain, encouraging lush new growth.
Big bluestem is an exceptionally valuable species for restorations, highway revegetation, and mine reclamation– it is also an excellent forage grass for livestock, often referred to as ‘ice cream for cows’ by Texas ranchers. Its palatability is problematic; Andropogon gerardii adapted over time to endure the seasonal grazing of migrating bison, and constant overzealous browsing by domestic animals (combined with poor management practices) has reduced it to mere patches of its historical range.
Growing this majestic grass in a home garden is a great way to showcase some old Texas glory– its huge size, fine blue-green foliage (russet in winter), and interesting birdfoot-shaped flower heads make it a wonderful dramatic accent. Big bluestem is essential for native prairie gardens and provides premium habitat for songbirds. Plant it in full sun in sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Its deep roots make it highly drought-tolerant once established; too much water, shade, or fertilizer could make it top-heavy and cause it to fall over in a garden setting.
4) Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Often found growing along streams, creeks, and moist roadsides, switchgrass is both an important prairie grass (one of the ‘Big Four’) and a handsome ornamental landscaping plant. This warm-season perennial bunchgrass has a wide native range that stretches from Canada south through Mexico and into Central America– it is native to nearly all of the United States, with the exception of California and the Pacific Northwest. In Texas, it is found statewide, easily recognizable by tufts of white hairs on the ligule at the junction of the leaf sheath and the blade (present even in young individuals). The foliage of switchgrass is bright green (often with a reddish tint), curing to yellow-cream in the fall. Its flower and seed heads are airy, plumed panicles of green, blue, purple, and gold.
Switchgrass seeds are eaten by quail, pheasants, turkeys, and songbirds, and drifts of switchgrass provide excellent cover and nesting habitat for game birds and rabbits. It is fair forage for wildlife, and a good warm-season pasture for livestock (remarkable for its lush growth in late spring and early summer), making high-quality hay. It is a larval host for banded skippers and satyr butterflies. Panicum virgatum grows in solid, upright clumps that hold up well through winter– even in heavy snow– and reaches heights of 3 – 10 ft (usually closer to 6 ft in Texas), with widths of 2 – 3 ft.
As a garden specimen, switchgrass is relatively low maintenance, adapting well to a variety of dry to moist soils from sandy loams to heavy clay. Switchgrass prefers full sun to partial shade, and tends to be leggy– it looks best underplanted with low-growing perennials. It is tolerant of drought, flooding, salt, and some urban pollution. Numerous cultivars are available, but local ecotypes will be better suited to regional climate fluctuations. Switchgrass is stately and versatile– plant it en masse or use it as an accent in perennial borders. It is outstanding in pocket prairies, meadows, or along ponds and streams.
5) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)
Deep gold and purple tassels of plumed seed heads with a metallic sheen make Indiangrass stand out in prairies and naturalized gardens in the fall– but this Texas native is more than just a pretty plant. Sorghastrum nutans (the last of the ‘Big Four’) is a warm-season perennial bunchgrass that feeds a variety of critters– from skipper butterflies, songbirds, and small mammals to deer and every class of livestock– with its palatable, nutritious blue-green foliage and velvety seeds. Its tall, upright fount of rough-textured blades reaches 3 – 5 ft tall by 2 – 3 ft wide (spreading by rhizomes) and provides shelter and nesting material for birds and native bees. Its leaves cure to a burnt orange color (sometimes purple) in the fall.
Indiangrass is a lowland species that is able to endure extreme drought and is adapted to fire and periodic flooding. It is native from Canada to southern Mexico and occurs frequently in north central Texas, the Edwards Plateau, and Plains Country. It prefers sand, loams, and moist clay soils of bottomlands, and thrives in full sun. Indiangrass makes a striking vertical accent that brings a dramatic element to winter gardens, and is ideal for wildflower meadows– it’s especially stunning planted en masse. Indiangrass is also suitable for containers. It may be sheared back to 8’’ in late winter, just before new spring growth appears. It sometimes needs support from companion plants to stay erect.
6) Buffalograss (Bouteloa dactyloides)
Buffalograss has the distinction of being the only truly native grass suitable for Texas turf. Every year, more Texans are eschewing water-guzzling grasses like Bermuda, zoysia, and St. Augustine in favor of naturally drought-tolerant, rough-and-tumble Buchloe dactyloides. This long-lived, warm-season perennial sod-former is native from Manitoba and Saskatchewan south through the Central Great Plains states into southern Mexico. In Texas, it is frequently found in plains, meadows, pastures, and savannas– primarily in south Texas and in the Panhandle.
Buffalograss is an important shortgrass prairie species that is interwoven into American history; fossilized seeds dating back 5 to 7 million years were found in a Kansas prairie, and it has sustained the American bison since herds crossed the Bering Land Bridge 195 – 135 thousand years ago. In all that time it has developed both a resistance to pests and diseases found on the continent and an adaptability to fluctuating water conditions unique to the microclimates of the ecoregions it inhabits. Just as it once provided rich grazing for the buffalo, Buchloe dactyloides can give home landscapes a thick, lush, shining blue-green native prairie (golden brown in dormancy) that reaches 5 – 8 inches tall at maturity and is able to outcompete weeds when water is limited.
Buffalograss thrives with only natural rainfall, requiring irrigation just every 21 – 45 days, as little as half as much as St. Augustine. It may be left unmowed– ideal for those wanting a wildlife-friendly yard– or cut every 7 – 14 days (some people dislike the small male seed heads). A height of about 4 inches is best for home landscapes and will help to prevent weed seed germination by covering the soil. Buffalograss is not well-adapted to shaded sites or those with heavy traffic, and dislikes the sandy, acidic loams of east Texas and wet coastal areas. Many cultivars and hybrids are available, offering improved cultural practices for residential lawns; some to consider are ‘Habiturf’ (a mix of buffalograss, blue grama, and curly mesquite), ‘Prairie’, ‘609’, ‘Stampede’, and ‘Turffalo’.
7) Gulf muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris)
Feathery clouds of dramatic fuchsia flowers (especially ethereal backlit by the setting sun) make Gulf muhly one of Texas’s most spectacular fall-blooming plants– it really is a superstar. Muhlenbergia capillaris, also known as pink, hairawn, or autumn blush muhly, is a hardy native perennial bunchgrass known equally as well for its incredible drought tolerance as for its flashy pink inflorescences. Gulf muhly is native from the East Coast (Massachusetts to Florida) west to Kansas and south through Texas into Mexico and Guatemala. In the Lonestar State, it grows wild in pine barrens, prairies, and open woodlands along the coast, where it provides crucial year-round habitat for birds and beneficial insects like bees, butterflies, and ladybugs.
Versatile and low-maintenance, Gulf muhly thrives in a variety of sites, including those with sandy, rocky, or clay soils. It tolerates heat and partial shade but prefers full sun and may appreciate a little compost and a light layer of mulch in some areas. Good drainage is a must, as ‘wet feet’ may cause plant death. Foliage is fine-textured and deep green from spring through to fall, forming a neat mound that reaches 2 – 3 feet high and wide. The smoky, rosy tint of its plumed flower heads– prompting comparisons to fireworks or tufts of cotton candy– lasts from September through to November. Many gardeners appreciate the structure and contrast given by winter plants, which cure to a flaxen blonde but keep their shape: a yearly ‘haircut’ will reinvigorate growth, but can be left until just before spring.
Gulf muhly is deer-resistant and useful for erosion control– it is truly stunning planted en masse or naturalized in meadows, but also makes an excellent specimen or container plant. It is easily propagated by seed or division (to the delight of acquisitive friends and neighbors) and is often readily available in nurseries, particularly in the fall when its flowers are on full display. Notable cultivars include ‘Regal Mist’, ‘Undaunted Ruby’ (a horticultural selection of a close relative Muhlenbergia reverchonii), and ‘Pink Flamingo’ (a naturally occurring hybrid of M. capillaris and M. lindheimeri).
8) Inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
One of Texas’s few native ornamental grasses that flourishes even in the deepest shade, inland sea oats is a riparian species that grows wild on sheltered stream banks, slopes, and low thickets in eastern and central Texas. It is indigenous to a large swath of eastern North America, from Pennsylvania south to northern Florida, west to eastern Kansas, and south through central Texas to Nuevo Leon in northeastern Mexico.
Inland sea oats is an excellent multifaceted garden plant– it requires little maintenance, has a high value for wildlife, and remains attractive from April through to January. It is especially showy in late summer when most other plants are losing steam: gracefully drooping chevron spikelets on slender arched stems change from apple green to burnished gold in August and September, resembling gleaming fish dangling on a line. Blue-green foliage vaguely favoring bamboo leaves rises 2 – 4 ft from a basal rosette, forming a clump that bleaches to a glossy blonde in late fall. Stems and seed heads make a lovely addition to dried floral arrangements, but don’t cut too many: rustling winter grasses add a quiet beauty to home landscapes and give indispensable cover to wildlife. Birds and small mammals are fond of the seeds, and several skipper butterflies use it as a larval host.
Inland sea oats thrives in a variety of sites, from moist sand and rich loams to poorly draining clay. It is often recommended for rain gardens but does just as well in the dry soil beneath live oaks with plenty of shade and water once a week. Leaves may turn yellowish with too much sun, but adequate moisture should increase their tolerance. Inland sea oats is deer-resistant and great for erosion control– it is a self-seeder and can quickly form a dense mat of greenery, making it useful as an attractive groundcover as well. It also makes a handsome accent around ponds and is suitable for containers or porch pots.
9) Prairie wildrye (Elymus canadensis)
A cool-season perennial bunchgrass that begins growth in the fall and matures slowly through spring, prairie wildrye (also called Canada or nodding wildrye) is an especially valuable wildlife plant in winter when not much else is green– it blooms in March and produces seeds from May through December, providing year-round interest and ecological benefit. Elymus canadensis is native to much of North America, with the exception of the southeastern United States. It is widely distributed throughout the Great Plains, especially in sand or lowland prairies, but it is also present in forested and riparian habitats. In Texas, it is most common in the Edwards Plateau region where it grows in bottomlands, along ravines and fencerows, in shady areas, and in other moist sites. Sadly, it has disappeared from many rangeland pastures as water cycles have changed.
As a garden plant, prairie wildrye adds a distinctive elegance to home landscapes– its bowed flower stems rise 2 – 5 ft, well above wide, pointed blue-green leaves that are clasped to the bottoms of the stalks by auricles. Its bristly inflorescences resemble wheat or rye spikes, curving at maturity and bobbing gracefully in summer breezes. Both foliage and seed awns cure to a sandy blonde in fall, when the plant starts to send up low basal leaves that are semi-evergreen. Small mammals and birds eat the seeds and use the leaves and culms for nesting material. Prairie wildrye is fair forage for grazing animals and offers shelter for many species of birds.
This plant is a fine choice for habitat gardens, prairie plantings, and wildflower meadows, as it self-sows readily and its vigorous seedlings provide quick initial cover. It is also useful for bank stabilization and erosion control. This fast-growing (though short-lived) Texas native is virtually disease and pest-free, drought-tolerant, and requires little to no maintenance. It tolerates a variety of well-drained soils but prefers moist, and can take half a day of shade. It may hybridize with other Elymus species, particularly Virginia wild rye.
10) Three-flower melic (Melica nitens)
Three-flower melic is a shade-loving beauty that is catching on in the horticultural trade– it is particularly lovely in mid-spring, at the height of its bloom. Melica nitens, sometimes simply ‘melicgrass’ (the moniker ‘three-flower melic’ is inapt in the southern part of its range, where the florets are most often in groups of two), is native from Pennsylvania west to Kansas and south to Nuevo Leon in Mexico. In Texas, it occurs most often in the Edwards Plateau and the North Central regions (including the Cross Timbers and Prairies, the Rolling Plains, and the High Plains), but it can also be found in the Trans-Pecos.
This cool-season perennial bunchgrass grows in open pastures, woodlands, rocky grasslands, and on moist slopes and valley bottoms– it is often associated with oak or juniper savannahs and wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides). Spring foliage is a fresh, verdant green, frosted with loose panicles of showy white spikelets on slender arching stems that reach 3 – 5 ft tall. Closer inspection reveals that their pale appearance is due to impossibly delicate, translucent glumes that sheath the seed-bearing florets.
Three-flower melic has a long season of interest but goes dormant quickly in hot, dry summers without adequate shade and water– more moisture will help it stay green longer in sunnier sites. Many Texas gardeners prune their melicgrass severely in early fall, after flowering and just before the next season’s growth begins: cutting plants back to their base in September or October encourages lush new clumps that stay green through the rest of the growing season. Melica nitens adapts to a wide variety of loams but tends to prefer partial shade and well-drained calcareous or sandy soils. This species is outrageously underutilized in home landscaping– its large, dense tufts and graceful flower culms make it a handsome accent, and it is mesmerizing planted in drifts or massed around the bases of trees.
11) Texas bluegrass (Poa arachnifera)
Texas bluegrass is a tufted, cool-season perennial sod former native to the American Southwest– despite its rich color, texture, and hardiness, it is often woefully overlooked in gardening circles. “Grassman” John Greenlee (an internationally known horticulturist, landscape designer, and grass ecology expert) hails it as “the darkest green, most drought-tolerant grass [he has] ever known or grown.” Sadly, Poa arachnifera is extirpated from or endangered throughout much of its original range– it is a species of vernal pools (in Texas, ‘buffalo wallows’), which are some of the most vulnerable wetlands in Texas due to land conversion, urbanization, and other human activities. Where Texas bluegrass remains in the wild, it can be found growing along roadsides and in protected woodlands or prairies, often under trees.
Most commercially-cultivated collections come from prairie remnants and are either all female or all male, and so do not produce any viable seed (this also keeps it from spreading where it’s not wanted). Texas bluegrass forms clumps 6 – 12 in tall, with silky plumed inflorescences rising another 12 in above the leaves. Its gossamer, spider web-like flower panicles– which inspired the species name, arachnifera– simply fade into the foliage once spent.
Texas bluegrass thrives in most well-drained soils in full sun to full shade (even adapting to changing light conditions), and tolerates both drought and inundation: it’s an excellent choice for bioswales or meadows, and its blooms are breathtaking in massed plantings. It has no major pests or diseases and may remain evergreen in mild winters– after a hard freeze (or in especially dry summers) it turns golden brown, but greens up quickly if cut back and watered. It is soft underfoot and can be mowed to 2 in for paths or turf.
