Ornamental grasses bring an unmatched elegance to gardens. Their flowing forms, subtle colors, and rustling textures create natural movement and year-round interest. Native grasses, in particular, offer added benefits they’re adapted to local climates, support native wildlife, and often require less maintenance. Whether you’re designing a meadow-style landscape, looking to soften borders, or just want to add graceful motion to your yard, these twelve native ornamental grasses are perfect for adding beauty, biodiversity, and texture to your garden.
1. Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Little Bluestem is a compact, clumping grass known for its striking blue-green blades that turn fiery shades of red, orange, and purple in fall. Native to North America, it thrives in poor soils and full sun, making it ideal for low-maintenance gardens and natural landscapes. Reaching about 2–4 feet tall, it adds vertical interest and sways beautifully in the breeze. It’s also a host plant for several skipper butterflies, making it both attractive and ecologically valuable.
2. Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
Prairie Dropseed is a graceful, fine-textured grass native to the central U.S. Its fountain-like form and fragrant, airy flower heads make it a favorite for borders and mass plantings. The grass grows to about 2 feet tall and wide, forming neat mounds that turn golden-orange in fall. It prefers full sun and well-drained soils and tolerates drought once established. Prairie Dropseed adds soft movement and is perfect for adding elegance and structure without overwhelming the landscape.
3. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Switchgrass is a robust, upright native grass that offers both structure and beauty. It can grow between 3–6 feet tall, depending on the variety, and features airy, pinkish seed heads that catch the sunlight and dance in the wind. In fall, its green blades turn brilliant shades of gold and burgundy. Switchgrass adapts well to a variety of soils, including clay, and is both drought- and flood-tolerant. It’s an excellent choice for erosion control and supporting birds and pollinators.
4. Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
Big Bluestem, also known as “Turkey Foot” for the shape of its seed heads, is a tall, dramatic native grass that can reach up to 8 feet in height. Its bold structure makes it perfect for prairie-style gardens and background plantings. The foliage turns a rich copper-red in fall, adding seasonal color. Big Bluestem supports wildlife and serves as a host plant for butterflies. It’s low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and thrives in full sun, making it an ecological powerhouse for native landscapes.
5. Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
Indian Grass is a warm-season native that brings striking golden seed heads and upright form to the garden. Growing 3–7 feet tall, it features blue-green leaves that turn vibrant bronze and orange in fall. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, and once established, it’s highly drought-resistant. Its graceful plumes provide movement and interest from late summer into winter. Indian Grass also supports native insects and birds, making it both beautiful and beneficial to local ecosystems.
6. Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
Northern Sea Oats is prized for its distinctive, flat seed heads that dangle like ornaments on arching stems. Native to woodland edges and riverbanks, this grass grows well in partial shade and moist soils, although it’s adaptable to drier sites. It reaches about 2–4 feet tall and offers year-round interest with its bronze fall color and persistent seed heads. This grass brings a unique texture and is excellent for adding a touch of elegance to shade gardens or naturalistic settings.
7. Purple Love Grass (Eragrostis spectabilis)
Purple Love Grass is a showstopper in late summer when it sends up clouds of tiny, reddish-purple flowers that shimmer in the sun. Native to dry prairies and roadsides, this low-growing grass (1–2 feet tall) forms soft tufts that provide delicate texture. It prefers full sun and dry, sandy soil but is surprisingly adaptable. Its ethereal flowers bring a romantic, almost magical quality to the landscape, making it a great choice for adding color, motion, and softness to garden edges or meadows.
8. Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)
Ideal for shady areas, Bottlebrush Grass features unusual, spiky seed heads that resemble bottlebrushes. It grows 2–4 feet tall and has an upright, slightly arching habit that adds texture without being overpowering. This native grass thrives in woodland gardens and tolerates a variety of soil types. Its unusual structure and ability to grow in low light make it a standout in shade gardens, while its seeds support small wildlife, adding ecological value to its ornamental appeal.
9. Side-Oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
Side-Oats Grama is a charming, low-growing native grass with uniquely dangling seed spikes that resemble oat grains hanging from one side of the stem. Reaching about 2–3 feet tall, it adds rhythm and visual interest with its distinctive flowering habit. It prefers full sun and dry to moderately moist soils and is excellent for xeriscaping. This grass provides food and cover for wildlife and is often used in prairie restorations. It brings both whimsy and texture to small or large spaces.
10. Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua gracilis)
Blue Grama is a fine-textured, drought-tolerant grass that grows only 1–2 feet tall, making it ideal for borders, rock gardens, or as a lawn alternative. Its most striking feature is the comb-like seed heads that stand out horizontally like tiny eyebrows waving in the breeze. This native grass thrives in full sun and poor soils and requires little maintenance. Its soft blue-green foliage turns golden in fall, and its compact size makes it great for tight garden spaces with a naturalistic design.