Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Across Tennessee and the Southeast, turns cotton-candy pink as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, reaching 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Tennessee · Zones 6–8
Native Ornamental Grasses in Tennessee
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. For Tennessee, the right natives are shaped by Cumberland Plateau, Ridge & Valley, cedar glades and a humid, four-season climate. Every species below, from Pink Muhly Grass and Sideoats Grama to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Tennessee and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–8. 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 Tennessee
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Across Tennessee and the Southeast, soft motion in every breeze and seed for the birds, on a 1.5–2.5 ft-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Across Tennessee and the Southeast, movement in summer, bronze-purple seed heads color in fall — a native grass that holds all winter, spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Across Tennessee and the Southeast, 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
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Across Tennessee and the Southeast, 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
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Across Tennessee and the Southeast, turns airy pink-gold panicles as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Across Tennessee and the Southeast, warm-season grass turning bronze-gold plumes in fall and holding its form all winter, spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Across Tennessee and the Southeast, 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
Sourcing
Where to find these in Tennessee
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.