Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
A native grass at 1.5–2.5 ft tall — movement, structure, and seed for birds.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Indiana · Zones 5–7
Native Ornamental Grasses in Indiana
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. For Indiana, the right natives are shaped by Eastern Corn Belt Plains & oak savanna and a humid continental climate. Every species below, from Sideoats Grama and Pennsylvania Sedge to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Indiana and the wider flora of the Midwest 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 Indiana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
The matrix grass a planting is woven through, 6–12 in tall, 1–2 ft wide.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Summer texture, bronze-gold plumes autumn color, and winter standing presence on a 4–7 ft-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 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
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Catches the low autumn light, turning airy pink-gold panicles and standing 3–6 ft tall right through the snow.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
A native grass that glows bronze-purple seed heads and stands through winter, 4–7 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
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
Sourcing
Where to find these in Indiana
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.