Ornamental grasses have many attributes and are perfect specimens for areas of the Great Plains, including the Dakotas, Nebraska, Montana, and Wyoming. Grasses once encompassed most of the Great Plains in vast, waving seas. Today the gardener can choose from introduced grasses or native grasses of North Dakota or Wyoming grasses. Keep reading to learn about ornamental grasses for South Dakota, native Nebraska ornamental grasses and much more.
About Grasses
Most grasses once established are fairly low maintenance requiring little to no additional watering or food. If their care free maintenance doesn’t draw you in the fact that they are quite disease and pest resistant might. Even deer steer clear of most grasses.
Grasses grow rapidly, quickly attaining their full height of as much as 8 feet (2.4 m.) in a season. Plus, they look great year round, even into the winter where the tasseled blooms and height add interest to an otherwise drab landscape.
Grasses have many uses from hedges and screens to naturalized areas and ground cover or just to create a focal point.
Native Grasses
For over 23 million years grasses dominated the central United States. For this reason native grasses are an excellent choice for the landscape. Over time individual species have learned to adapt to their conditions making them low maintenance, easy to grow specimens for the landscape.
Grasses that are native to Nebraska and throughout much of the Great Plains include Big Bluestem, Blue Grama, Feather Reed grass, Indian grass, Little Bluestem, Maiden grass, Prairie Dropseed, Sand Lovegrass, Switchgrass, and Sideoats Grama.
These native grasses run the gamut from a scant foot (30 cm.) high (Sideoats Grama) to a staggering potential 9 feet (2.7 m.) in height (Maiden Grass).
Types of Native Grasses
As we already established, grasses come in a multitude of heights. They may also be clumping, bunching or mat forming. Most have an upright habit, but some are mounded and fewer are vase shaped or spreading. Colors of inflorescence (seedhead) may be silver/white to coppery red. Some are self-seeding and others less so.
Additional Ornamental Grasses for the West North Central Region
Other ornamental grasses suited for the northwest central United States include Blue Oat grass, Bunny Tail grass, Feather Reedgrass, Fountain grass (annual), Giant Sacaton, Hardy Melic, Hardy Pampas, Japanese Blood grass, Flamegrass, Maiden grass, Mexican Feather grass (annual), Moorgrass, Northern Sea oats, Purple Fountain grass (annual) , Ruby grass (annual), Sand Lovegrass, and Tufted Hairgrass.
The grasses listed above may not be suited to all USDA zones encompassing the northwest Central United States. Consult your local extension office prior to planting to verify suitability for your area.
Ornamental grasses have many attributes and are perfect specimens for areas of the Great Plains, including the Dakotas, Nebraska, Montana, and Wyoming. Grasses once encompassed most of the Great Plains in vast, waving seas. Today the gardener can choose from introduced grasses or native grasses of North Dakota or Wyoming grasses. Keep reading to learn about ornamental grasses for South Dakota, native Nebraska ornamental grasses and much more.
About Grasses
Most grasses once established are fairly low maintenance requiring little to no additional watering or food. If their care free maintenance doesn’t draw you in the fact that they are quite disease and pest resistant might. Even deer steer clear of most grasses.
Grasses grow rapidly, quickly attaining their full height of as much as 8 feet (2.4 m.) in a season. Plus, they look great year round, even into the winter where the tasseled blooms and height add interest to an otherwise drab landscape.
Grasses have many uses from hedges and screens to naturalized areas and ground cover or just to create a focal point.
Native Grasses
For over 23 million years grasses dominated the central United States. For this reason native grasses are an excellent choice for the landscape. Over time individual species have learned to adapt to their conditions making them low maintenance, easy to grow specimens for the landscape.
Grasses that are native to Nebraska and throughout much of the Great Plains include Big Bluestem, Blue Grama, Feather Reed grass, Indian grass, Little Bluestem, Maiden grass, Prairie Dropseed, Sand Lovegrass, Switchgrass, and Sideoats Grama.
These native grasses run the gamut from a scant foot (30 cm.) high (Sideoats Grama) to a staggering potential 9 feet (2.7 m.) in height (Maiden Grass).
Types of Native Grasses
As we already established, grasses come in a multitude of heights. They may also be clumping, bunching or mat forming. Most have an upright habit, but some are mounded and fewer are vase shaped or spreading. Colors of inflorescence (seedhead) may be silver/white to coppery red. Some are self-seeding and others less so.
Additional Ornamental Grasses for the West North Central Region
Other ornamental grasses suited for the northwest central United States include Blue Oat grass, Bunny Tail grass, Feather Reedgrass, Fountain grass (annual), Giant Sacaton, Hardy Melic, Hardy Pampas, Japanese Blood grass, Flamegrass, Maiden grass, Mexican Feather grass (annual), Moorgrass, Northern Sea oats, Purple Fountain grass (annual), Ruby grass (annual), Sand Lovegrass, and Tufted Hairgrass.
Ornamental grasses have many attributes and are perfect specimens for areas of the Great Plains, including the Dakotas, Nebraska, Montana, and Wyoming. Grasses once encompassed most of the Great Plains in vast, waving seas. Today the gardener can choose from introduced grasses or native grasses of North Dakota or Wyoming grasses. Keep reading to learn about ornamental grasses for South Dakota, native Nebraska ornamental grasses and much more.
About Grasses
Most grasses once established are fairly low maintenance requiring little to no additional watering or food. If their care free maintenance doesn’t draw you in the fact that they are quite disease and pest resistant might. Even deer steer clear of most grasses.
Grasses grow rapidly, quickly attaining their full height of as much as 8 feet (2.4 m.) in a season. Plus, they look great year round, even into the winter where the tasseled blooms and height add interest to an otherwise drab landscape.
Grasses have many uses from hedges and screens to naturalized areas and ground cover or just to create a focal point.
Native Grasses
For over 23 million years grasses dominated the central United States. For this reason native grasses are an excellent choice for the landscape. Over time individual species have learned to adapt to their conditions making them low maintenance, easy to grow specimens for the landscape.
Grasses that are native to Nebraska and throughout much of the Great Plains include Big Bluestem, Blue Grama, Feather Reed grass, Indian grass, Little Bluestem, Maiden grass, Prairie Dropseed, Sand Lovegrass, Switchgrass, and Sideoats Grama.
These native grasses run the gamut from a scant foot (30 cm.) high (Sideoats Grama) to a staggering potential 9 feet (2.7 m.) in height (Maiden Grass).
Types of Native Grasses
As we already established, grasses come in a multitude of heights. They may also be clumping, bunching or mat forming. Most have an upright habit, but some are mounded and fewer are vase shaped or spreading. Colors of inflorescence (seedhead) may be silver/white to coppery red. Some are self-seeding and others less so.
Additional Ornamental Grasses for the West North Central Region
Other ornamental grasses suited for the northwest central United States include Blue Oat grass, Bunny Tail grass, Feather Reedgrass, Fountain grass (annual), Giant Sacaton, Hardy Melic, Hardy Pampas, Japanese Blood grass, Flamegrass, Maiden grass, Mexican Feather grass (annual), Moorgrass, Northern Sea oats, Purple Fountain grass (annual), Ruby grass (annual), Sand Lovegrass, and Tufted Hairgrass.
The grasses listed above may not be suited to all USDA zones encompassing the northwest Central United States. Consult your local extension office prior to planting to verify suitability for your area.