Alamo switchgrass (Panicum virgatumis) is a perennial, sod-forming grass growing between 3 and 5′ tall. Switchgrass is a native grass and given suitable soil conditions can be found throughout the USA except California and the Pacific Northwest.
Best soils are moderately deep to deep, somewhat dry to poorly drained, sandy to clay loam soils unless severe weed competition exists during establishment. In the East, it performs well on shallow and droughty soil. Switchgrass does poorly on heavy soils.
Big Bluestem (Andropogon geradii) is a tall native, perennial, warm season grass and is climatically adapted throughout the Midwest and Northeast. Big Bluestem is a tufted grass that forms sod, and has short, scaly rhizomes. Big bluestem is tall, reaching a height of 6 to 8 feet on most areas where it is protected from grazing. It is very leafy at the base, with some leaves carried up on the stem. The seed heads normally have 3 spikelets that look like a ‘turkey foot.’
Blue grama (Bouteloua gracili) can be found throughout the Great Plains and is a major warm season grass. Blue grama is a short plant (10-20″) with 3-6″ narrow basal leaves. It grows in well defined bunches and reproduces by seed and tillering.
Blue grama is often found in association with buffalo grass, western wheat grass, needle grasses and in some places the bluegrasses. The curved seed heads resemble a human eyebrow.
Eastern Gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) is a warm season, native, perennial, sod forming grass and is a relative to corn. Native to the Eastern half of the United States, it does best in moderately well drained to poorly drained soils.
Lowlands, sub-irrigated, or irrigated sites that are not alkaline will also support this species well. Extended periods of flooding are also tolerated.
Eastern gamagrass is primarily used for hay and haylage. Compared to other native perennial warm season grasses it is more palatable, nutritious and productive.
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)is a warm season, medium height grass with coarse stems and basal leaves. Beginning growth occurs in late spring and goes through the hot summer months until the first killing frost. Little bluestem has flat bluish basal shoots. The plants are green, but often purplish at the base of stem and after a frost the whole plant has a reddish cast to it. Leaves are smooth, but at the base next to the sheath they are frequently covered with hair.
Sand Bluestem (Andropogon hallii) is a tall native, warm season, bunchgrass. It is climatically adapted throughout the Great Plains region, occurring primarily west of the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to Mexico. Sand bluestem favors sandy, loamy sand and sandy loam soils and is an important element in many native hay fields.
Sand bluestem is tufted, forms sod and has well developed rhizomes with lengths between 4 and 8 inches.
Sand Lovegrass (Eragrostis trichodes) is a 1-3 foot tall native perennial bunchgrass that is readily grazed by livestock during the spring and early summer. It is also an ideal plant for adding texture to any landscaping project.
Sand Love grass grows in full sunlight, is drought tolerant and tolerates poor and sandy soils, however it is best adapted to medium and coarse textured soils.
Yellow Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) is a perennial, warm-season, tall native grass. Growing between 3-5’ tall it is one of the grasses that once dominated the central and eastern prairies. It is easily recognized by the “rifle-sight” ligule that appears at the point where the stem and leaf meet. This characteristic is also easily distinguished in young plants.
At the point of attachment the leaf blade also narrows. The golden brown seed head is a narrow, single, plume like panicle. The light and fluffy seed has small, attached awns and there is approximately 175,000 seed in a pound.
Lorenz's OK Seeds, LLC
Okeene Oklahoma – Home of Whippet Brand Seed
511 W. Oklahoma
Okeene, OK 73763. Phone: 580-822-3655
Copyright 2010 Lorenz's OK Seeds, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
