Some native choices can make for a great addition to the backyard Garden grasses

Chicago Tribune (TNS)

Grasses are glori- ous as summer ripens into fall, with their leaves and stalks turned to gold, copper or red and their banners of seeds fluttering in the wind.

Many of the best ornamental grasses are Midwestern natives, the backbone of the prairie.

But given the limited space and well-groomed aesthetic of most city and suburban yards, it can be hard for wild-hearted native grasses to fit in.

Fortunately, an increasing number of selections of native species are now available, some shorter, some more colorful, some more tidy.

“These aren’t hybrids,” says Mary Meyer, a professor and extension horticulturist for the University of Minnesota who runs grass trials at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. “They’re variations that have come about naturally, and have been selected because they are particularly attractive.”

Because the selected cultivars offer a range of sizes and more predictable performance, she says, they can encourage gardeners to plant native grasses in gardens. Straight species of more native grasses are becoming available, too, giving gardeners more choices.

Most grasses need full sun, and most Midwestern species require very well-drained soil, says Shannon Currey, marketing director for Hoffman Nursery, a wholesale grower in North Carolina that specializes in ornamental grasses. Most are warm-season grasses, meaning they will be slower to start growing in spring than the cool-season grass species in your lawn.

Once they’re established, prairie grasses prefer to live on rainfall, so they aren’t good companions for perennials that you will be watering. Instead, find them a sunny spot among drought-tolerant natives such as black-eyed Susan, butterfly weed and goldenrod or other tough perennials such as Russian sage.

For shadier spots, consider native sedges – shorter plants that aren’t technically grasses, but have a similar texture. Since they usually come from wetlands or woodlands, they often can be happy with more moisture or less light.