Indian Grass

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Sorghastrum nutans

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planteducationproject.com/indian-grass/

Non-flowering Indian Grass showing its normal foliage and form. Photograph: Joshua Mayer from Madison, WI, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Plant typewarm-season native bunchgrass

LightFull sun

WaterModerate while establishing; drought-tolerant once rooted

EdibilityNot a human food plant

Native to United StatesYes

Native to Lafayette areaYes; native to Indiana and the region

InvasiveNo

Self-seedingYes

Care

Light

Full sun. Increase exposure gradually so leaves or stems can adjust.

Water

Moderate while establishing; drought-tolerant once rooted. Check the root zone before watering and always let excess drain.

Standard soil mix

Two parts loam, one part compost, and one part coarse sand; avoid chronically wet soil. Use a container with an open drainage hole.

Flowering

Indian Grass in flower or reproductive growth. Photograph: Mason Brock (Masebrock), Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Golden-bronze flowering panicles rise above blue-green foliage in late summer.

Propagation

Use seed, division, offsets, spores, or stem cuttings only as appropriate for the verified species. Keep propagation material labeled and clean; do not distribute unidentified or regulated invasive material.

Native environment

Habitat context associated with Indian Grass. Photograph: Steve Hurst. Provided by ARS Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory. United States, DC, Washington., Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Prairies, glades, and open woodlands across much of North America. Care succeeds when it reproduces the function of this setting—light, drainage, root-zone air, and seasonal water—rather than following a rigid calendar.

Environment →Climate →Ecology →