Types of Native Grass in the Upper Midwest

Indian Ricegrass

• Indian ricegrass grows naturally in Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. It usually grows on sand dunes or in rocky soil. It requires very little water to grow so is therefore extremely resistant to drought. Indian ricegrass is a perennial plant that is relatively small in size, never measuring more than 2 feet tall. It is sage-green colored in the summertime and tan in the winter.

Sideoats Gramagrass

• Native to Iowa, the Dakotas and Nebraska, sideoats gramagrass is not as plentiful in modern times as it once was, but it can still be found in abundance. It has greenish-blue leaves with oats growing on one side of the stems. This grass should be planted in well-drained sand, loam or clay with a high limestone content. The grass grows in clumps that measure about 3 feet high.

Big Bluestem

• Big bluestem is also found mostly in Minnesota, the Dakotas and Nebraska. It is a much larger plant than the previous species, usually around 4 to 8 feet tall. It is characterized mostly by its three-part seed heads that look like turkey feet, hence its informal other name: turkeyfoot. In the summer, its stems look greenish blue but change to a rust-like color in the winter. It is also known for its floppy appearance. Big bluestem is popular among birds both as a source of food and a nesting site.

Canada Wildrye

• Canada wildrye is found in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and South Dakota as well as across Canada. It grows to be about 2 to 4 feet tall. It grows during the cool season and requires little to no maintenance to thrive. It is a perennial plant, with green leaves in the summer and tan leaves in the winter. It has spike-shaped seed heads at the top of its erect or arching stems.

Switchgrass

• Switchgrass is also present throughout the Upper Midwest of the United States as well as a large swath of the Canadian prairies. Switchgrass grows in clumps during the warm season. It gets to be between 3 and 6 feet high. The seeds grow in sprays from the thin stems, which are colored green with reddish-purple seed heads in the summer and then pale yellow in the winter.