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colorful fall leaves of rhus aromatica
Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Lo’ (Fragrant Sumac) Photo © Mary Free
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Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass)

Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass) seedheads in September. Photo © 2017 Elaine Mills
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass) - Fall foliage
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass) golden flower heads in September.
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass) in Longwood Gardens meadow in October.
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass) in fall meadow. Photo © 2018 Elaine Mills

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Sorghastrum nutans Tried and True Native Plant Selections Indian Grass for the Mid-Atlantic This native* of much of North America was once one of the dominant grass species of the tallgrass prairie. It is a good choice for erosion control on slopes and combines well with robust wildflowers such as butterfly-weed, purple and orange coneflowers, and other native grasses. Grass / Sedge Summer Foliage, Spikelets, Fall Panicles Height: 3–5 feet Spread: 2–3 feet Bloom Color: Light brown Characteristics Clumping perennial grass with upright form Alternate, sheathing, 2’-long, blue-green leaves Metallic-sheened, golden panicles of terminal fertile, awned & infertile, hairy-pedicellate spikelets with yellow stamens rise above foliage to 5–6’ in Sept. Foliage turns yellow-orange in fall Feathery panicles turn bronze & persist in winter Attributes Tolerates clay, rocky, poor, dry, occasionally wet soils; drought; erosion; air pollution; and Black Walnut; no serious pests or diseases; deer-resistant Tends to flop in moist, rich soil or excess shade Winter interest Provides nesting habitat for birds, small mammals, and native bees; foliage feeds grasshoppers and mammalian herbivores; larval host for ~7 lepidopterans, including Delaware & other skippers Growing and Maintenance Tips Excellent Replacement for Soil Requirements: Well-drained Cortaderia selloana - Pampas Grass Light Requirements: Sun Miscanthus sinensis - Chinese Silver Grass Water Requirements: Dry, Moist Cenchrus purpurascens - Fountain Grass Cut back to ground in early spring before new growth appears Phyllostachys, Pseudosasa, Bambusa spp. - Bamboo Use as a vertical accent in borders, mass in meadows, or plant to control erosion on slopes *It is native to DC, common in DE, and present primarily in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of MD and throughout PA. In VA, it is common throughout, except in the outer Coastal Plain, where it is infrequent to rare. Hardiness: USDA Zones 2–9 developed by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, serving Arlington and Alexandria Images by Elaine Mills, National Garden, U.S. Botanic Garden and (top right) Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Tried and True Native Plant Selections
for the Mid-Atlantic

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 Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass)

This native* of much of North America was once one of the dominant grass species of the tallgrass prairie. It is a good choice for erosion control on slopes and combines well with robust wildflowers such as butterfly-weed, purple and orange coneflowers, and other native grasses.

*It is native to DC, common in DE, and present primarily in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of MD and throughout PA. In VA, it is common throughout, except in the outer Coastal Plain, where it is infrequent to rare. You can view the VA counties in which it has been reported here.

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets