The Plant Store is now closed for 2023 and will re-open for sales in May of 2024

  • Please see the Using the Plant Library  page  for some tips on how to make the most of the information here to select species for creating a healthy native plant community suited to the conditions of your site.

Sorghastrum nutans, Yellow Indiangrass

Sorghastrum nutans 

Yellow Indiangrass

  • Average to Very Dry Soils
  • Full Sun to Very Light Shade
  • 4’ tall, can reach 6’ with tall neighbours and ideal conditions, 2’ to 3’ spacing 
  • Summer Blooms, Fall Seed Heads
  • Ontario Native, Thrives in Meadow and Dry Meadow Ecosystems

While I’m never comfortable with writing ‘Indian’ as a name for a plant that comes from Turtle Island (as opposed to India) this seems to be the accepted common name for this lovely grass.

Clump forming, with a mature spread of up to 3’, these are worth considering as a landscape alternative to introduced species such as Calamagrostis and Miscanthus. In tallgrass prairies, these grow alongside Big Bluestem and Switchgrasses.

Best in full sun with average soil conditions. I would interplant these with asters and goldenrods, as well as earlier blooming meadow species such as Liatris, Penstemon and Coreopsis. If you plan a planting with shorter spring and summer and taller late summer and fall blooming species, you can end up with a meadow that progresses nicely through each growing year.

Photos from my garden and Matt Lavin, Matt Lavin and Jennifer Anderson via Wikipedia Commons 

Species that were not sown / aren't being sown for 2023 are marked with an * 
Species that are native to this continent, but not historically native to Ontario are marked with a ~ 
While it rarely comes up, I do reserve the right to limit plant quantities, mostly to help ensure that as many native plant gardens as possible become a reality
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