Looking for an easy way to add fall and winter interest to your landscape? Native grasses are the answer! Fall is a great time to plant them, and you’ll see their visual impact immediately. To top it off, their ecological impact is far greater than their visual impact and goes beyond your own backyard. They provide food and shelter in many different ways for insects, birds, and mammals. Not to mention, they are all deer resistant!
Ecological Benefits
During the growing season, many species of butterfly larvae (caterpillars) feed on the blade of native grasses. In fall and winter, grasses provide protection and nesting material for birds, small mammals, and insects. They are especially useful to the overwintering larvae and adults of beneficial insects.
Grass seed heads provide food for songbirds, insects, and small mammals. Their tough foliage clumps, whether dormant or growing, slow storm-water run-off, allowing it to re-infiltrate the water table.
Did you ever wander through a grassy area on hot sunny day and spend a lot of time waving you hand in front of your face because all the bugs were flying around? That’s a good thing! Grasses support a tremendous number of insects, which are essential to the ecosystem.
Below ground, the deep roots of native grasses provide more unseen ecological benefits. They help stabilize the soil and reduce erosion. About a third of the massive root system of native grasses is replaced with new roots each season. As the ‘retiring roots’ decompose, they return nutrients to the soil, increasing its fertility.
There is one beloved insect in particular that benefits from native grasses – the firefly. These nocturnal insects spend most of the day on the ground, concealed by long grasses. At night, they crawl to the tips of grass blades and fly into tree branches to signal for mates.
Design Benefits of Native Grasses
If you intersperse tall native grasses in a tall perennial planting, they help hold the plants and heavy seed heads erect, so they don’t ‘flop’– allowing birds, pollinators (and you!) to spot them. Planted in large groups or swaths, they provide a dramatic element and can serve as a dense screen. Their golden fall color heralds the changing seasons. Their tall seed heads sway in the wind, adding movement to the still winter landscape.
Lower growing species such as Prairie Dropseed provide fine textured mounds and can be used as a specimen plant or filler.
Try any of the native grasses in containers. They will make a dramatic vertical statement and provide interest even when the rest of the container plants are dormant. Dried grasses are an excellent addition to flower arrangements, too.
Maintenance
There is no need to cut native grasses back in the fall – their dormant blades and seed heads provide important ecological benefits. If they start to flop or break under the weight of ice or snow, cut or trim for neatness sake if you wish. In spring, cut back last year’s growth if you want them to look fresh and green throughout. If not, it’s fine to let the dormant grass blades mix in with the new.
If you want to divide one of the clump forming grasses, do it in fall. Cut it back so you can see the clump Dig the clump out of the garden and use a sharp shovel, an axe or hacksaw to divide the clump into smaller pieces. Replant immediately.
