Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Across Louisiana and the Southeast, warm-season grass turning cotton-candy pink in fall and holding its form all winter, hardy in zones 6–10.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Louisiana · Zones 8–9
Native Ornamental Grasses in Louisiana
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. For Louisiana, the right natives are shaped by Mississippi Delta & Gulf Coast Prairie and a hot, humid subtropical climate. Every species below, from Pink Muhly Grass and Sideoats Grama to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Louisiana and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–9. 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
9 native species for Louisiana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–9 · see this collection in other states.
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Across Louisiana and the Southeast, fine-textured native grass weaving the planting together, for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Across Louisiana and the Southeast, fills the gaps between the flowers with fine 8–20 in-tall texture, for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Across Louisiana and the Southeast, warm-season grass turning airy pink-gold panicles in fall and holding its form all winter, for sand, clay, and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Across Louisiana and the Southeast, 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
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Across Louisiana and the Southeast, summer texture, blue-green to copper autumn color, and winter standing presence on a 2–4 ft-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Across Louisiana and the Southeast, summer texture, fine emerald to amber autumn color, and winter standing presence on a 2–3 ft-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Across Louisiana and the Southeast, the matrix grass a planting is woven through, 6–12 in tall, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Across Louisiana and the Southeast, 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
Sourcing
Where to find these in Louisiana
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.