Add a side of bouteloua
USUALLY GROWS TO ABOUT 2'
PERENNIAL bunch grass
MODERATe water (terrace zone)
HARDY TO ABOUT -30º F
flower spikes spring - fall
ATTRACTS many species of skipper butterflies
cut back in early spring
We believe that the most interesting and advanced native landscapers make good use of native grasses. Not only because, simply, they are beautiful, but also because they are important to wildlife and make up important constituents in native flora.
The variety of Sideoats gramma (Bouteloua curtipendula) we carry grows to about 2 feet tall and wide. Sometimes, in the low desert, they can stay a bit smaller. In the spring, new leaves appear and flower arrive shortly afterward, blooming until the fall. This is one of the dominant grasses of the prairies and desert grasslands; these plants can take all sorts of heat and cold alike.
In the landscape, they will form nice clumps and are nicely mixed in with other wildflowers to provide texture and a wild appearance. Plants go dormant in winter--but still look attractive and give a sense of season (namely, fall). Cut plants back in the early spring to encourage new growth.
Another great reason to plant this native grass: skippers! Sideoats gramma is a larval host to several species of skippers including the Orange Skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiaca).