summary of tallgrass prairie grasses
| common | scientific | T | SSN | H | W | sun | soil | H2O | fire | N2 | pH | summer | fall | flower (seed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| blue grama grass | Bouteloua gracilis | P | W | 0.3 | SB | S | F-M-C | DM | •• | - | 6.6-8.4 | green | purplish | green (maroon) |
| blue grass, fowl | Poa palustris L. | P | CW | 1.2 | B | S/PS | F-M | DM | ••• | - | 4.9-7.5 | green-yellow | yellow-pale | yellow (brown) |
| bluestem, big | Andropogon gerardii | P | W | 2.0 | SB | S | F-M-C | DM | ••• | - | 6.0-7.5 | green | copper | yellow (maroon) |
| bluestem, little | Schizachyrium scoparium | P | W | 0.9 | B | S | F-M-C | D | •• | - | 5.0-8.4 | green-grey | copper red | yllw (copper) |
| brome, Kalm's | Bromus kalmii | P | C | 1.0 | B | S/PS | M-C | D | ••• | - | 5.7-7.0 | green-light | taupe | yellow (taupe) |
| brome, fringed | Bromus ciliatus L. | P | CW | 1.2 | SB | S/PS | F-C | M | •• | - | 5.5-7.5 | green | - | yellow (brown) |
| fescue, rough | Festuca hallii/sca./alt. | P | CW | 0.5 | B | S | - | DM | • | - | - | purple-green | yellow-pale | yellow-deep |
| foxtail barley | Hordeum jubatum | P | CW | 1.0 | B | S/PS | F-M-C | D-W | ••• | - | 6.4-9.5 | green-light | yellow-pale | yellow-pale |
| foxtail, shortawn | Alopecurus aequalis Sobol. | P | CW | 0.8 | B | S/PS | F-M | DM-W | ••• | - | 5.5-8.0 | green-blue | orange-brown | |
| hair grass | Agrostis scabra | P | CW | 0.8 | S | S | F-M | M | •• | - | 6.0-8.0 | green-bright | yellow-pale | yellow (red) |
| Indian grass | Sorghastrum nutans | P | Y | 1.6 | B | S | F-M-C | DM | ••• | - | 5.0-7.8 | green-dull | yellow-deep | yellow (rust) |
| junegrass | Koeleria macrantha | P | CW | 0.3 | B | S/PS | M-C | DM | ••• | - | 6.0-8.0 | green | yellow-pale | yellow (brown) |
| mannagrass, fowl | Glyceria striata | P | CW | 1.2 | SB | S/PS | F-M | M-W | • | - | 4.0-8.0 | green-pale | - | green (red) |
| mannagrass, tall | Glyceria grandis | P | CW | 1.8 | SB | S | F-M | M-Z | X | - | - | green-yellow | yellow-pale | maroon |
| muhly, marsh | Muhlenbergia glomerata | P | C | 0.3 | B | S/PS | F-M | M | ••• | - | 5.3-7.5 | green-bright | yellow-pale | yellow (brown) |
| muhly, plains | Muhlenbergia cuspidata | P | CW | 0.4 | B | S | M-C | D | ••• | - | 5.0-6.7 | green | bronze | green-pale |
| needle & thread grass | Hesperostipa comata … | P | CW | 0.9 | B | S | M-C | D | ••• | - | 6.6-8.4 | green | white | white-bronze |
| Nuttall's alkali grass | Puccinellia Nuttalliana | P | CW | 0.6 | SB | S | F-M-C | M | ••• | - | 6.5-8.5 | green-pale | yellow-pale | green-pale (brn) |
| prairie cordgrass | Spartina pectinata | P | W | 2.5 | S | S | M-C | M-W | ••• | - | 6.0-8.5 | green-dark | yellow-deep | white/rose |
| prairie dropseed | Sporobolus heterolepis | P | W | 0.7 | B | S | M | DM | ••• | - | 6.0-7.2 | green-light | bronze | yellow (brown) |
| prairie wedge grass | Sphenopholis obtusata | AP | C | 1.0 | B | S/PS | F-M | DM | X | - | 5.0-7.5 | green | orange | yellow (brown) |
| reedgrass, common | Phragmites australis americanus | P | W | 3.0 | S | S | F-M-C | M-W | ••• | • | 4.5-8.0 | green/red | yellow-pale | maroon |
| reedgrass, northern | Calamagrostis stricta inex. | P | CW | 1.0 | S | S | F-M | M-W | •• | - | 5.5-8.0 | green | yellow-pale | purple (fawn) |
| Canada wild rye | Elymus canadensis L. | P | CW | 1.3 | B | S/SH | F-M-C | DM | • | - | 5.0-7.9 | green | yellow-pale | grey purple |
| saltgrass | Distichlis spicata | P | CW | 0.3 | S | S/PS | F-M-C | M-W | ••• | - | 6.0-8.4 | green | yellow-pale | maroon |
| scratch grass | Muhlenbergia asperifolia | P | C | 0.3 | S | S/PS | F-M | M-W | ••• | - | 6.0-8.4 | green-yellow | yellow-pale | purple |
| sloughgrass | Beckmannia syzigachne | P | CW | 0.9 | B | S | F-M | M-W | ••• | - | 5.5-7.5 | green-pale | yellow-pale | white (cream) |
| sweet grass | Hierochloe odorata | P | CW | 0.6 | B | S | M-C | M-W | ••• | - | 5.7-7.4 | green-grey | copper | white-pink (blk) |
| switch grass | Panicum virgatum | P | Y | 1.5 | S | S | F-M-C | DM | ••• | - | 4.5-7.5 | green-pale | yellow-deep | yellow (brown) |
| wheatgrass, bluebunch | Agropyron spicatum | P | C | 0.8 | S | S | F-M-C | D | • | • | 6.4-8.4 | green | yellow-pale | yellow (brown) |
| wheatgrass, slender | Agropyron trachycaulum | P | CW | 1.0 | B | S | F-M | M | ••• | - | 5.6-9.0 | green | yellow-pale | yellow |
| wheatgrass, western | Pascopyrum smithii | P | C | 0.6 | S | S/PS | F-M | DM | ••• | - | 4.5-9.0 | green-blue | yellow-pale | white (purple) |
| witchgrass | Panicum capillaire L. | A | CW | 0.6 | SB | S | F-M-C | DM | X | - | - | green-light | yellow-pale | maroon |
| TABLE COLUMNS ARE SORTABLE |
| common > name = have on site |
| T = type: A = annual | B = biennial | P = perennial | SS = subshrub | D = deciduous | C = coniferous |
| ██ = cold stratify | ██ = cold stratify & scarify | ██ = plant directly | ██ = scarify | ██ = not from seed |
| SSN = season: C = cool | W = warm | Y = late |
| H = height (in metres) | W = width (in metres) | B = bunch | S = sod | SB = sod/bunch |
| sun: S = full sun | S/PS = sun or partial shade | PS = partial shade | SH = full shade |
| soil: F = fine | M = medium | C = coarse |
| H2O = moisture requirement: D = dry | M = moist | W = wet | Z = aquatic |
| fire = fire tolerance: - = unknown | X = none | • = some | •• = moderate | ••• = high tolerance |
| N2 = nitrogen fixing: • = yes |
| summer = foliage colour | fall = foliage (stem) colour | flower (seed) = flower (seed / fruit) colour, if conspicuous |
| pH = acidity - alkalinity |