Botanical name: Panicum virgatum
Requirements: Moist to dry soil and full sun.
Bird benefits: seeds feed them; dense foliage provides winter cover.
Gardener benefits: Vigorus plants are prized for their reddish-purple summer color that fades to tan in fall. Reseeding is a problem for some varieties in certain areas; cover exposed soil with a 3-inch layer of mulch to prevent clumps from spreading out of bounds.
Zones: 5-9
Size: 3-7 feet tall; 2-4 feet wide
Read more about switchgrass.
Botanical name: Festuca glauca
Requirements: Well-drained soil and full sun.
Bird benefits: Seeds feed them; foliage provides nesting material
Gardener benefits: Mound-forming, semievergreen plants have striking blue-green foliage, making them valuable accent plants. Drought-tolerant plants are a good choice for low-water landscapes.
Zones: 4-8
Size: 6-18 inches tall; 12-24 inches wide
Read more about blue fescue.
Botanical name: Schizachyrium scoparium
Requirements: Well-drained soil and full sun.
Bird benefits: Seeds feed them; foliage provides cover.
Gardener benefits: Drought-tolerant and slowly spreading, it is a good grass for naturalized areas and erosion control. Showy blooms make great cut flowers. Blue-green foliage turns dark red to purple in fall, then fades to tan in winter.
Zones: 5-9
Size: 2-3 feet tall; 1-2 feet wide
Read more about little bluestem.
Botanical name: Elymus canadensis
Requirements: Full sun; will grow in any soil, dry or moist.
Bird benefits: Seeds feed them; foliage provides nesting materials.
Gardener benefits: The fastest growing of the prairie grasses, this species matures from seed the first or second year. Suits a variety of tough landscaping situations, including sand and clay, where nothing else will grow. Beautiful dropping seed heads.
Zones: 3-8
Size: 4-6 feet tall; 24 inches wide
Botanical name: Sorghastrum nutans
Requirements: Well-drained or moist soil and full sun.
Bird benefits: Seeds are favored by many songbirds; foliage provides cover.
Gardener benefits: Dark orange or purple foliage in fall lights up the garden. It has brown flowers in late summer. Lush, upright habit makes a good screen. Dense roots can hinder erosion.
Zones: 5-8
Size: 4-6 feet tall; 2-3 feet wide
Botanical name: Deschampsia cespitosa
Requirements: Moist soil and full or part shade
Bird benefits: Seeds feed them; foliage provides nesting material.
Gardener benefits: Arching, dark green leaves give this easy-to-grow perennial a waterfall appearance, which is striking in a mixed plant border. Large colorful flowers decorate the plant May through August. It's an excellent ornamental grass for part-shade locations.
Zones: 5-9
Size: 2-3 feet tall; 2-3 feet wide
Read more about tufted hairgrass.
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