Description
Sorghastrum nutans
CT
Soil: Well-drained
Moisture: Average to Dry
Light: Full Sun
Plant Height: 3 to 6 feet
Plant Width: 1 to 2 feet
Pests: None.
Landscape Value: Great blended or planted en masse in meadows or naturalized areas. Makes a striking vertical accent in borders. Great for water wise landscapes and along roadsides. Effective for erosion control on slopes.
New this year! Highly attractive, upright, clump-forming grass with blue-green, arching leaves that turn orange-yellow in the fall and usually retain hints of color into winter. Stiff, vertical flowering stems topped with light brown, plume-like flower clusters rise above the foliage in late summer. Flower clusters turn metallic bronze/copper in fall and glimmer in the late afternoon light. Does well in dry, infertile soil; in rich soil, plants open up and flop. Readily self-seeds and can spread aggressively. Deadheading may be needed to prevent excess seedlings in small gardens. Cut plants to ground in late winter. Provides high quality forage for livestock and produces excellent hay if cut before flower stalks develop. Provides cover and nesting habitat for many birds. Seeds attract birds and small mammals. Larval host to Pepper and Salt Skipper butterflies and several species of grasshoppers. Tolerates drought, shallow-rocky soil, clay soil, infertile soil, erosion, moderate salinity, and black walnut. Makes a good cut flower.
5-pint pot
Photo credits:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (photo by Nan Hampton)
Missouri Botanical Garden
