Summary Notes for Native Grasses


Common Name Botanical Name Conditions Plant Height Sun Seed treatment
Awl sedge Carex stipata W, M 1'-4' Full-Part-Shade cold moist
Beak grass Diarrhena americana M 1'-3' Part-Shade cold moist
Bebb's sedge Carex bebbii M 2'-3' Full cold moist
Big bluestem Andropogon gerardi M,D 3'-8' Full-Part cold dry
Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis D 1'-2' Full-Part cold dry
Blue Joint grass Calamagrostis canadensis W,M 3'-5' Full-Part cold dry
Bottlebrush grass Hystrix patula M,D 3' Part-Shade cold dry
Bristly sedge Carex comosa W 1'-2' Full cold moist
Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis W,M,D 3'-6' Full-Part cold dry
Common rush Juncus effusus W,M 1'-4' Full cold moist
Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi W, M 1'-3' Full cold moist
Eastern gamma grass Tripsacum dactyloides M 3'-10' Full-Part cold moist
Fowl manna grass Glyceria striata W, M 1'-5' Full-Part cold dry
Fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea W,M 1'-3' Full-Part cold moist
Fringed brome Bromus ciliatus W 2'-4' Full-Part cold dry
Fringed sedge Carex crinita W 2'-5' Full-Part-Shade cold moist
Giant bur reed Sparganium eurycarpum A 3'-5' Full cold moist
Giant manna grass Glyceria grandis W 3'-5' Full cold dry
Great spike rush Eleocharis palustris A 1'-2' Full cold moist
Green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens W 3'-5' Full cold moist
Indian grass Sorghastrum nutans M,D 3'-6' Full-Part cold dry
Inland rush Juncus interior W 1'-4' Full cold moist
June grass Koeleria cristata D 2' Full cold dry
Lake sedge Carex lacustris W 2'-4' Full-Part-Shade cold dry
Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium M,D 2'-3' Full-Part cold dry
Needle spike rush Eleocharis acicularis W <1' Full-Part cold moist
Path rush Juncus tenius M, D <1' Full-Part cold moist
Porcupine grass Stipa spartea D 3'-4' Full-Part cold moist
Porcupine sedge Carex hystericina W 1'-3' Full cold moist
Prairie brome Bromus kalmii M 1'-3' Full-Part cold dry
Prairie cord grass Spartina pectinata W,M 4'-8' Full-Part cold dry
Prairie dropseed (Northern) Sporobolus heterolepsis M,D 2'-4' Full-Part cold dry
Rattlesnake grass Glyceria canadensis W 2'-3' Full-Part cold dry
Rice cut grass Leersia oryzoides W 3'-4' Full-Part cold dry
Rough dropseed Sporobolus asper D 2'-3' Full cold dry
Sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus D 2'-3' Full cold dry
Side-oats grama Bouteloua curtipendula M,D 2'-3' Full-Part cold dry
Silky wild rye Elymus villosus M 1'-3' Part-Shade cold dry
Silky wild rye Elymus villosus M 1'-3' Part-Shade cold dry
Slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus D 2'-4' Full cold dry
Soft-stem bulrush Scirpus validus W 3'-9' Full cold dry
Spike bulrush Eleocharis acicularis A <1' Full cold moist
Switch grass Panicum virgatum M,D 3'-5' Full-Part cold dry
Virginia wild rye Elymus virginicus W,M 2'-4' Full-Shade cold dry
Woodland brome Bromus purgans M 2'-5' Part-Shade cold dry
Wool grass Scirpus cyperinus W 3'-5' Full cold moist

 Conditions where these wildflowers are found growing in the wild:
A = aquatic (clay-loam) W = wet/heavy soil (clay) M = medium/loam soil, D = dry/light soil (sandy)

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