Botanical Name: Sorghastrum nutans
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Common Name: Indiangrass  
Plant photo of: Sorghastrum nutans
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Perennial, Grass

 

Height Range

3-6'

 

Flower Color

Yellow

 

Flower Season

Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green, Blue Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Very Low, Low

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Meadow, Native Garden, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers, Silhouette

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Foundation

 

Special Uses

Cut Flowers, Erosion Control, Mass Planting, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Wildlife

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer:

  • Description

  • Notes

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.