Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Fills the gaps between the flowers with fine 1.5–2.5 ft-tall texture, hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
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North Dakota · Zones 3–4
Native Ornamental Grasses in North Dakota
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. North Dakota sits in a landscape of Northern mixedgrass prairie & Drift Prairie, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its cold, semi-arid character. The list below — led by Sideoats Grama and Blue Grama — is filtered to species genuinely native to North Dakota and the wider flora of the Great Plains and hardy through zones 3–4. 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 North Dakota
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–4 · 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
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
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
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
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
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
A grass for structure and bird seed, turning fine emerald to amber and standing 2–3 ft tall through the cold.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
A grass that earns its keep in fall and winter — bronze-purple seed heads color, 4–7 ft tall, seed for the birds.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in North Dakota
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.