Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
A native grass at 1.5–2.5 ft tall — movement, structure, and seed for birds.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Colorado · Zones 3–6
Native Ornamental Grasses in Colorado
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. Every species here is genuinely native to Colorado and the wider flora of the Mountain West and hardy through zones 3–6 — proven performers for Colorado's semi-arid, cold winters, high sun climate across Southern Rockies & High Plains, not a generic list. Local standouts include Sideoats Grama and Blue Grama. Native grasses are the connective tissue of a natural planting, weaving between the flowers, holding the soil, and standing handsome through the whole winter. Warm-season grasses want full sun and lean soil and green up late, so don't give up on them in May. Cut everything back to a hand's height in late winter, just before new growth, and that's the entire job.
The plants
7 native species for Colorado
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–6 · see this collection in other states.
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Soft motion in every breeze and seed for the birds, on a 8–20 in-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Warm-season grass turning fine emerald to amber in fall and holding its form all winter, reaching 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
A grass for structure and bird seed, turning blue-green to copper and standing 2–4 ft tall through the cold.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Movement in summer, bronze-purple seed heads color in fall — a native grass that holds all winter, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Summer texture, bronze-gold plumes autumn color, and winter standing presence on a 4–7 ft-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Turns airy pink-gold panicles as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Colorado
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.