As one can see it really is a sea of grasses! Grasses are the prime feature blooming in this prairie and all other prairies across the state. Grasses are one of the most important factors of a prairie and are often overlooked and ignored as most attention is on the crown jewels of the prairie- The flowers. So in this case, the grasses would be the crown its self! So why are grasses so important? A prairie wouldn’t be a prairie without them. Grasses make up 60-80% of a prairie so of the 85% of Iowa that was once prairie, grasses made up the majority of it. Grasses also create a food source for birds and habitat for mammals. Need more reasons? Grasses thick root systems create a natural filter that filter out pollutants and they also add much needed nutrients to the soil. To top all this off in the fall grasses put on a beautiful fall display as they turn colors ranging from yellow to fiery red and burgundy. So now that we know their importance, I will cover a few of the more predominant grasses you can you find in the prairie.

Canadian rye grass, Rare in prairies and usually only found in true prairie remnants.  It is a cool season bunch grass that creates a large feathery seed head. It’s fall color is yellow. It is blooming now in patches near the edge of the prairie. This plant is not widely available in retail garden centers and has not yet been planted in most landscapes.

 

Big Blue Stem, The king of the prairie! This the most predominant grass of the old prairie and is used widely in prairie restorations. Seeds are favored by many birds. This warm season grass gets quite tall up to 8 feet high! The fall color of this grass is a beautiful fiery red to burgundy and this grass holds up well through ice and snow. This grass is widely available in garden centers but not many have seen the advantages of this great grass in the landscape setting.

Little blue stem, a rare find in old prairie remnants and usually only found in the western one half of Iowa where it is drier. This is a short grass up to 3′ high with a feathery long seed head. The fall color of this warm season grass is among the most beautiful of the grasses as it turns an intense fire red color. It holds up well in ice and snow. This grass is very widely available in retail and is used widely in landscapes across Iowas largest cities, homes, business and smaller communities.

Indian Grass, This is the second most abundant grass of the old prairie and is the queen grass of the prairie! This grass gets about 5′ tall and has a beautiful red seed head and lasts well into winter. It is a warm season grass that is  clump forming, The fall colors are red/burgundy. It is used widely in prairie restorations and can be seen predominantly along the highway 5 bypass roadside restoration around Des Moines. This grass is not yet widely availability in retail garden centers, but you can find it if you look. It will eventually begin to gain popularity soon.

Switch Grass, Very predominant across Iowa although I am surprised that there is not any of this in the Cumming prairie remnant, which could possibly be because it was crowed out through years of prior degradation. This grass gets about 4′ tall and is a very nice bunch forming warm season grass. It is used in prairie restorations and can be seen in roadside prairies across the state. It has a yellow fall color and seeds are favored by birds. It holds up well in ice and snow. This grass is very available in retail garden centers and is used widely in landscaping plantings especially the Shennadoah Switch variety which has red leaves. Native switch grass has strictly green leaves like above.

 

Prairie Dropseed, The only great grass I was not able to get a photo of today but I still want to cover, This is a great short prairie grass that gets 3′ high. It is rare and found only in prairie remnants as it likes to stay established in an area for a long time. The leaves are thin/feathery and looks very different in the landscape, it has a yellow fall color and a “loose” seedhead thats favored by birds. This grass is widely available in retail and used often in landscapes.

I have one flower to discuss which has started blooming in the prairie this week. ( Standard ) Goldenrod is one of two ( besides stiff Goldenrod) goldenrods that bloom in the prairie. They have beautiful yellow flowers and are an important food source for butterflies and bees. This plant is not widely available in retail centers and is not planted in the landscape except for in prairie restorations.