Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Across Oklahoma and the Great Plains, a native grass that glows cotton-candy pink and stands through winter, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Oklahoma · Zones 6–8
Native Ornamental Grasses in Oklahoma
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. Oklahoma sits in a landscape of Cross Timbers & mixedgrass prairie, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its continental, hot summers character. The list below — led by Pink Muhly Grass and Sideoats Grama — is filtered to species genuinely native to Oklahoma and the wider flora of the Great Plains 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
9 native species for Oklahoma
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Across Oklahoma and the Great Plains, fine-textured native grass weaving the planting together, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Across Oklahoma and the Great Plains, a 8–20 in-tall native grass that knits the bed together and feeds seed-eaters.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Across Oklahoma and the Great Plains, movement in summer, bronze-purple seed heads color in fall — a native grass that holds all winter, 2–3 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Across Oklahoma and the Great Plains, 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
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Across Oklahoma and the Great Plains, 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
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Across Oklahoma and the Great Plains, a native grass that glows airy pink-gold panicles and stands through winter, 3–6 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Across Oklahoma and the Great Plains, 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
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Across Oklahoma and the Great Plains, 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
Sourcing
Where to find these in Oklahoma
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.