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
Minnesota · Zones 3–5
Native Ornamental Grasses in Minnesota
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. Minnesota sits in a landscape of Northern tallgrass prairie & North Woods, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its cold continental character. The list below — led by Blue Grama and Sideoats Grama — is filtered to species genuinely native to Minnesota and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 3–5. 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 Minnesota
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
A grass for movement and bird seed, spreading 12–18 in.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Turns bronze-gold plumes as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Turns bronze-purple seed heads as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, 4–7 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
A grass for structure and bird seed, turning airy pink-gold panicles and standing 3–6 ft tall through the cold.
- 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
Movement in summer, blue-green to copper color in fall — a native grass that holds all winter, good through zone 9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
The matrix grass a planting is woven through, 6–12 in tall, reaching 6–12 in.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Sourcing
Where to find these in Minnesota
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.