Indiangrass is a perennial grass with erect, tufted stems from 2-1/2 to 5 feet tall, and about half as wide. It starts growth in late spring or early summer and flowers in mid- to late summer. The seedhead is a single, narrow, plume-like panicle that is golden brown and 4 to 12 inches long; it has sort of an exploded-oat look about it. A Utah native, Indiangrass is found in hanging gardens and along washes at 3,700-7,200’ in Southern Utah where annual precipitation is 10 inches or less, but flooding with runoff water is common.
It grows best in full sun and deep, well-drained soils but is tolerant of poorly to excessively drained soils, acid to alkaline conditions, and soil textures ranging from sandy to clayey. Syn. with S. avenaceum.