Big Blackhawk Bluestem brings the bold, sweeping drama of the prairie into the home garden. This stately native grass forms tall, upright clumps that climb to three to five feet, adding vertical structure and graceful movement wherever it’s planted. Native to the central and eastern United States, it thrives in full sun and lean, dry soil, growing tougher and more drought-tolerant with each passing season. As autumn arrives, its green blades take on warm coppery-bronze tones that catch the late-season light and persist into winter. Songbirds feed on its seed heads through the cold months, and it’s seldom browsed by deer. Plant it in sweeping masses on a sunny slope or as a living screen—it’s prairie grandeur at its finest.

Shortbeak Sedge is primarily valued in the garden for its interestingly mounded form. It features airy spikes of chartreuse flowers rising above the foliage in mid spring. Its attractive grassy leaves remain forest green in color throughout the season.

Little Bluestem Sandhill grows tall, up to four feet, with powder blue leaves that widen as they rise. It thrives in full sun and dry to average soil, showing beautiful fall colors from creamy orange to purple.

A vigorous sedge that can grow in very diverse habitats; a tall, upright cultivar with attractive blue-green foliage; great in full sun or under the shade of large trees; suitable for rock gardens or as a groundcover but must have sufficient water

Maiden Flame Grass brings sweeping, architectural presence to the sunny garden, its graceful arching clumps of narrow blades catching every breeze with a soft, rustling shimmer. Growing three to five feet tall, it becomes a bold focal point or a sweeping screen on a sunny slope, lending movement and rhythm to the landscape from midsummer onward. Pale feathery plumes emerge in late summer and persist beautifully into winter, when the seed-laden stems become a welcome resource for songbirds foraging through the cold months. It establishes readily in full sun with average moisture and needs very little attention beyond a single cutback in late winter to make room for fresh growth. Deer and rabbits reliably pass it by, and its tolerance for a range of soil conditions—including sites near black walnut trees—makes it broadly adaptable in the Midwest landscape. Plant it in generous masses where the plumes can catch the low light of a September afternoon.

Blue Joint Grass is one of the more abundant native grasses on the continent. It blooms in late spring to early summer with pink-green seeds that are attractive but not highly ornamental. Spreading quickly by shallow rhizomes in moist to wet soils, Blue Joint Grass can help to stabilize stream banks.

Red Baron Japanese Blood Grass' attractive grassy leaves are white in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous dark red in the fall.

Ravenna Grass features airy plumes of coppery-bronze flowers with a purple flare at the ends of the stems in late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive grassy leaves are grayish green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous harvest gold in the fall. The gray seed heads are carried on showy plumes with silver overtones, which are displayed in abundance from early fall to late winter.

Switch Grass is a prairie native from the Great Lakes region that brings easy, four-season beauty to the sunny garden—and genuine ecological value along with it. From summer into fall, its upright clumps of dark green blades support airy clouds of fine-textured flower panicles that catch the light and move beautifully in a breeze. Come autumn, the foliage transitions through warm shades of yellow-gold and copper-bronze before settling into tawny buff tones that persist through winter. Birds flock to the seed heads for reliable late-season forage, giving this grass genuine wildlife value beyond its good looks. It forms a tidy, non-spreading clump reaching three to five feet tall and handles challenging conditions with remarkable equanimity—drought, black walnut, deer, and erosion-prone slopes are no match for it. Mass plant it in a meadow-style border or naturalized area for maximum impact with minimum effort.

Zebra Grass features bold plumes of coppery-bronze flowers rising above the foliage in late summer. Its attractive grassy leaves are bluish-green in color with showy yellow variegation. The foliage often turns yellow in fall. The silver seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from early fall to late winter. The brick red stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Mature spikelets turn chocolate-colored early.

In early summer, Tufted Hair Grass erupts into a shimmering cloud of fine, airy flower panicles that catch the light and sway with the slightest breeze, lending soft movement to the garden. Below, it forms a neat, fountain-like clump of slender deep-green blades that stays tidy throughout the season. A cool-season grass native to our region’s moist meadows and open woods, it settles easily into local gardens and thrives with steady, moderate moisture. The golden seed heads hold their beauty into fall and feed visiting songbirds, while its fibrous roots make it a fine choice for stabilizing slopes. Deer and rabbits pass it by, so the planting stays full and graceful. Sweep it through a bed as a flowing groundcover, or let a single clump shine as a textural accent.

Blue Heaven Bluestem is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. The indian red seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from early fall to late winter. Its attractive grassy leaves are bluish-green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous orange in the fall. It has masses of beautiful spikes of light green flowers rising above the foliage in late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The brick red stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

A fine-textured native sedge with delicate, arching foliage that brings movement and elegance to garden beds and borders. Indigenous to Illinois and the Midwest, James sedge thrives in moist, well-drained soil and partial shade, making it ideal for woodland gardens, rain gardens, and shaded perennial combinations. Its compact, clumping habit and year-round interest provide structure without overwhelming neighboring plants. Perfect for adding softness and visual flow to native plant landscapes and restoration projects.

Ginger Love Fountain Grass has masses of beautiful plumes of red flowers with creamy white overtones rising above the foliage in mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its grassy leaves are green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous coppery-bronze in the fall.

Prairie Blue Little Bluestem is a fine-textured native grass that earns its place through four-season structure and a brilliant fall display—its narrow blue-green summer foliage giving way to rich burgundy and copper-bronze color as the weather cools, then standing in beautiful form through winter. A native of Great Lakes prairies and grasslands, it grows in a tidy mounding clump reaching two to three feet tall, adapting readily to poor, dry soils in full sun and asking for almost nothing once established. Airy seed heads appear in late summer and fall, feeding sparrows and finches well into the cold months. It is exceptionally drought tolerant and handles clay, sandy, and rocky soils with equal ease. Plant it in drifts along a sunny slope for erosion control, or mass it across a meadow-style planting where its changing seasonal display can be fully appreciated.

Rainbow Tufted Fescue is primarily valued in the garden for its interestingly mounded form. It features delicate panicles of violet catkins rising above the foliage in mid summer. Its attractive grassy leaves are bluish-green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous burgundy in the fall.

An often evergreen variety, producing narrow, shiny, light green foliage with short green flower spikes that transition to dark brown, bristly seed clusters resembling fox tails. This mounded sedge thrives in wetlands and gardens with moist to wet soil conditions.

Apache Rose Switchgrass is a standout native prairie grass with upright, dark green blades that flush with rosy-red tones as the season advances toward fall. Fine-textured pink flower panicles appear in summer, catching the light and adding a hazy, ornamental quality to the planting. By autumn, the foliage transitions to warm gold and copper-bronze, extending visual interest deep into the season. Growing 3 to 5 feet tall, it’s ideal for mass plantings where its movement and color can make a real statement. As a Great Lakes native, it offers exceptional wildlife value, providing habitat and seed for birds throughout the year.