Short Grasses Native to Michigan

Little Bluestem

• Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grass usually grows to two to four feet in clump-forming dense clusters. Light-colored foliage changes to a dark green blue and then finally a deep-bronze orange. Like other prairie grasses, it has a root system extending to five to six feet deep and is an effective form of erosion control. Little bluestem grass provides food and is a cover source for birds and small mammals.

Fowl Manna Grass

• Fowl manna (Glyceria striata) grasses range in height from one to three feet. Plants have narrow, two-ranked leaves, which means they come off their stem in the same place. Tolerant of moisture and a variety of soil conditions, the native fowl-manna grass does well in shady areas that are moist or wet.

Long-Awned Wood

• Long-awned wood (Brachyelytrum erectum) grows up to two feet tall and is named for its long awns (bristles). The broad leaves of the long-awned wood grass are perpendicular to its stem. A shade-tolerant species, the grass also thrives in dry conditions.

Purple Lovegrass

• Growing up to 24 inches in height, the purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) has reddish-purple clusters of flowers that make up more than half its height. Also known as tumble grass, the native species thrives in large masses and can serve as a border or accent plant.

Silky Wild Rye

• Silky wild rye (Elymus villosus) grass ranges in height from one to three feet tall and has long bristles soft to the touch. The upper surface of the grass faces downward because the leaf twists as it comes out of the stem. Silky wild rye most often grows in moderately moist mesic woods.

Lawn Grasses

• Michigan has several native lawn grasses, according to The University of Texas at Austin website. These bentgrass species include winter bentgrass (Agrostis hyemalis), rough bentgrass (Agrostis scabra) and the upland bentgrass (Agrostis perennans).

Other Native Grasses

• Other native grasses under four feel tall grow in either wet or upland conditions. Wetland grasses include cotton grass (Eriophorum angustifolium), and sweet grass (Hierochloe odorata). Native grasses growing in upland conditions include june grass (Koeleria macrantha), bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) and Canada wild rye (Elymus Canadensis).