KSU Turfgrass Information Pages > Ornamental Grasses - Native

Native/Adapted Ornamental Grasses for Midwest

These grasses have naturally adapted to the climate and environment of the Midwest, and should thrive with little input or maintainance.

Genus species	Cultivar	Common Name	Map #	Height	Zone
Andropogon gerardii		Big Bluestem	1	5-8 ft	Zone 3
Bouteloua curtipendula		Sideoats grama	3	3 ft	Zone 4
Buchloe dactyloides		Buffalo Grass	5	0.5 ft	Zone 4
Carex radiata		Eastern Star Sedge	77	1-2 ft	hardy
Chasmanthium latifolium		Northern Sea Oats	78	2-4 ft	Zone 4-9
Elymus virginicus		Virginia wild rye	81	2-3 ft	Zone 3-8
Eragrostis elliotii	Wind Dancer	Lovegrass	18	2-3 ft	Zone 6
Eragrostis elliotii		Blue Lovegrass	19	1.5 ft	Zone 5-9
Eragrostis trichodes		Sand Lovegrasss	82	2-4 ft	Zone 5
Festuca obtusa		Wild nodding fescue	84	1 ft	hardy
Festuca paradoxa		Clustered Fescue	22	2-4 ft	hardy
Juncus brachycarpus		Whiteroot Rush	86	3 ft	hardy
Hystrix patula		Bottlebrush Grass	24	2-5 ft	Zone 3
Lycurus setosus		Wolftail	93	2 ft	Zone 5
Oryzopsis hymenoides	Nezpar	Indian Ricegrass	94	1.5 ft	Zone 5-10
Panicum virgatum		Switch Grass	47	4-8 ft	Zone 4
Panicum virgatum	Dallas Blues	Blue Switch Grass	48	6 ft	Zone 4
Panicum virgatum	Prairie Sky	Blue Switch Grass	49	5 ft	Zone 5
Panicum virgatum	Shenandoah	Red Switch Grass	50	4 ft	Zone 5
Schizachyrium scoparium		Little Bluestem	60	3 ft	Zone 3
Schizachyrium scoparium	The Blues	Blue Little Bluestem	61	3 ft	Zone 3
Sorghastrum nutans		Indiangrass	64	5-8 ft	Zone 3
Sorghastrum nutans	Cheyenne	Yellow Indiangrass	99	3-5 ft	Zone 4-5
Spartina pectinata		Prairie Cordgrass	100	4-10 ft	Zone 4-5
Sporobolus airoides		Alkali sacaton	101	2-5 ft	Zone 4-9
Sporobolus aspera		Rough Dropseed	65	3 ft	Zone 5
Sporobolus heterolepsis		Prairie Dropseed	66	1-3 ft	Zone 3
Tripsacum dactyloides		Eastern Gamma Grass	68	8 ft	Zone 5