Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Where Iowa meets the Midwest, a grass for movement and bird seed, spreading 12–18 in.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Iowa · Zones 4–6
Native Ornamental Grasses in Iowa
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 Iowa and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 4–6 — proven performers for Iowa's humid continental, cold winters climate across Western Corn Belt tallgrass prairie, 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
8 native species for Iowa
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–6 · see this collection in other states.
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Where Iowa meets the Midwest, a native grass at 8–20 in tall — movement, structure, and seed for birds.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Where Iowa meets the Midwest, a grass for structure and bird seed, turning bronze-purple seed heads and standing 4–7 ft tall through the cold.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Where Iowa meets the Midwest, a grass that earns its keep in fall and winter — bronze-gold plumes color, 4–7 ft tall, seed for the birds.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Where Iowa meets the Midwest, warm-season grass turning fine emerald to amber in fall and holding its form all winter, for sand, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Where Iowa meets the Midwest, soft motion in every breeze and seed for the birds, on a 6–12 in-tall native grass.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Where Iowa meets the Midwest, turns airy pink-gold panicles as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Where Iowa meets the Midwest, turns blue-green to copper as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, 1.5–2 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Iowa
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.