Custom Landscaping

Indian Grass

Sorghastrum nutans ( Yellow Indian Grass )
Also called Chrysopogon nutans and is native to central North America from Manitoba to Quebec; south to Arizona to Florida. This native tall grass prairie-grass once covered hundreds of square miles of the Missouri River bottomlands.
A moderate growing, stiff, open and upright perennial grass, with mid-green to blue-green foliage clumps reaching up to 5 x 3.5 feet. This grass looks great planted in masses.
The individual leaf blades are up to 12 x 0.5 inches.
The foliage turns orange, red or purple after the first fall frost, remaining orangish during the winter.
The showy golden plumes, up to 7 rarely 12 feet, borne late summer.
The seed heads are attractive during fall and winter.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun on just about any fertile, well drained soil. Tolerant of drought and heavy clay soil. Cut back hard during late winter. Propagation is from division done during early spring or seed being sown.
Deer resistant and not prone to pests or disease.

* photos taken on Sep 14 2013 in Columbia, MD

* photo of unknown internet source

* Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA SCS. 1991. Southern wetland flora

* photo taken by Jennifer Anderson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database


Indian Steel
Vase-shaped, reaching up to 6 x 3 feet, with silvery-blue foliage, which turns to coppery-orange during autumn.
The flower plumes are golden-yellow.
Hardy zones 4 to 8.

Llano ( Llano Indian Grass )
Vigorous and large, reaching up to 6 feet in height.
The blue foliage is complimented with showy, bronze seedheads during autumn.

Sioux Blues
Stiff upright habit, reaching up to 7 x 3.5 feet with bright blue foliage and attractive flower heads.

* photo taken on Aug 20 2011 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD