Sideoats Grama is a native warm-season bunchgrass which has a wide distribution from southern Canada to Mexico. It is easy to please on infertile, dry, rocky soils in full sun. It tolerates a moderate amount of shade, but will spread faster and look fuller in more sun. It can be used as a native, delightfully wild-looking replacement for turf grass. Clumps of this grass will wander around by shallow rhizomes, sprouting new clumps nearby. It can be mown once a month during the growing season for a more maintained, slightly irregular lawn look, or it can be used as a framework for a "pocket prairie" when interplanted with low-growing wildflowers. Sideoats Grama does not compete well with larger prairie grasses, but it does have a strong root system which descends six feet beneath the soil to find moisture and nutrients.The seed heads of this grass have a delicate, pendulous quality. The flowers and the seeds they become hang from one-sided racemes, giving this species its common name. The seeds provide food and nesting material for birds and the plant is a larval host to several species of skippers.Sources:
Native Ferns, Moss, & Grasses by William Cullina
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
USDA FEIS
Grow Native
National Park Service
Limited Time Offer:
0
days
0
hours
0
mins
0
secs
Bouteloua curtipendula (Sideoats Grama) - 1 gal
Sideoats Grama
Plant Care & Installation Quick-Guide
Proper acclimation and installation are key to your plant's success. Please cross-reference these tips with your plant's specific ID tags:
·
Pre-Planting: Store plants in a light-appropriate area on soil or grass (avoid hot concrete or asphalt) and water daily until the soil is saturated and the pot feels heavy. If temperatures drop below 30°F, move pots to a garage or cover them to prevent root freeze.
·
Installation: Dig a hole matching the depth of the pot, remove the fabric container, and ensure the plant’s crown or root flare is level with the ground. Fill gaps with soil, water heavily, and apply 2 inches of mulch—keeping it clear of the stem.
·
Ongoing Care: Check moisture daily by feeling 1–2 inches into the soil; water deeply at the base if the soil feels dry or warm. Newly installed plants require frequent watering (up to 3–4 times weekly in heat) until fully established, which can take a few months for perennials and up to two years for trees.