Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Fills the gaps between the flowers with fine 1.5–2.5 ft-tall texture, 12–18 in wide.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Kansas · Zones 5–7
Native Ornamental Grasses in Kansas
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. For Kansas, the right natives are shaped by Flint Hills & mixedgrass prairie and a continental, windy, semi-arid west climate. Every species below, from Sideoats Grama and Blue Grama to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Kansas and the wider flora of the Great Plains and hardy through zones 5–7. 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 Kansas
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
A grass for movement and bird seed, reaching 8–20 in.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Turns bronze-purple seed heads as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Catches the low autumn light, turning bronze-gold plumes and standing 4–7 ft tall right through the snow.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Movement in summer, airy pink-gold panicles color in fall — a native grass that holds all winter, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
A grass that earns its keep in fall and winter — fine emerald to amber color, 2–3 ft tall, seed for the birds.
- 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
Sourcing
Where to find these in Kansas
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.