Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Turns airy pink-gold panicles as the season ends and holds that form till spring cleanup, reaching 3–6 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Vermont · Zones 3–5
Native Ornamental Grasses in Vermont
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. For Vermont, the right natives are shaped by Green Mountains & Champlain Valley and a cold, humid continental climate. Every species below, from Switchgrass and Prairie Dropseed to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Vermont and the wider flora of the Northeast 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
6 native species for Vermont
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Movement in summer, fine emerald to amber color in fall — a native grass that holds all winter, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
A grass that earns its keep in fall and winter — blue-green to copper color, 2–4 ft tall, seed for the birds.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Catches the low autumn light, turning bronze-purple seed heads and standing 4–7 ft tall right through the snow.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Fills the gaps between the flowers with fine 6–12 in-tall texture, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
A grass that earns its keep in fall and winter — bronze-gold plumes color, 4–7 ft tall, seed for the birds.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Vermont
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.