Bouteloua curtipendula (Sideaots Grama)

A compact, drought-tough prairie grass with one of the most visually distinctive seed heads in the native grass palette, sideoats grama is a strong companion species for spring wildflowers, staying low early in the season before its characteristic one-sided spikelets emerge in summer.

Species Overview

Bouteloua curtipendula, commonly known as sideoats grama, is a perennial, warm-season prairie grass native throughout the temperate and tropical Western Hemisphere, from Canada south to Argentina. It features attractive blue-green foliage and a distinctive inflorescence: purplish, oat-like spikelets that dangle uniformly along one side of the stem, bleaching to tan in fall. The plant forms compact, wiry clumps 2 to 3 feet tall and is the state grass of Texas.

Application

• Prairie and meadow restoration - a widespread, foundational mixed-grass prairie species
• Dry, rocky, or low-fertility soil plantings, including gravel and sand
• Erosion control on well-drained slopes
• Larval host habitat for several skipper butterfly and moth species
• Companion planting with spring-blooming wildflowers, since it stays short early in the season

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Dry to average, well-drained soils; tolerates sand, gravel, and clay
• Drought Tolerance: High
• Flood Tolerance: Low - A prairie grass adapted to dry, well-drained soils; not tolerant of standing water.
• Plant Type: Graminoid
• Mature Height: 2-4 ft.
• Fall Color: Red, Orange, Purple
• Bloom Color / Period: Purple, Orange; July-September
• Wetland Indicator Status: UPL (Obligate Upland, inferred) - see flags
• Native Range: Ranges through 42 of the 48 continental United States, most common in Midwest prairie states
• Hydrology: Dry
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Salinity Tolerance: Low
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Shade Tolerance: Intermediate
• Root Depth: Very Deep (36 in.+) - roots reach about 4 ft. deep
• Growth Habit: Clumping/Mounding
• Deer Resistance: Yes (Rarely Damaged)
• Pollinator Value: Larval host, supports butterflies
• Juglone Tolerance: Tolerant

Planting Guidance

• Seeding rate for a solid stand: approximately 1/4 lb. per 1,000 sq. ft., or about 10 lb. per acre.