Maine Native Grasses to Grow for Wildlife and Garden Interest

Lauren Landers
Jul 9
4 min read

In the wild, native grasses offer shelter and food for birds and wildlife, and help to control erosion with their fibrous, spreading roots. Native grasses can also provide these benefits to gardens, while adding ornamental appeal, texture, and movement to flower beds. If you’re thinking about growing ornamental grasses in your garden, here are some colorful and adaptable Maine native grasses you may want to try!

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

A fine choice for garden borders and mass plantings, little bluestem is a perennial bunchgrass that grows in mounds and stretches between 2 and 5-feet tall. These plants are mostly known for their colorful leaves, which have a lovely blueish-green color in summer and blush red in autumn. But little bluestem also produces attractive seedheads that remain on the plant through winter and appeal to seed-eating birds like finches and cardinals while the foliage remains a light-catching straw color.

Purple Lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis)

One of the most colorful native grasses you can find, aptly named purple lovegrass produces airy sprays of reddish-purple blooms in summer, which attract an assortment of bees and other beneficial insects. Generally disease- and pest-resistant, purple lovegrass is a no-nonsense plant that naturalizes easily in areas with dry soil, sun, or part shade. Try growing this beauty in rock gardens, garden borders, or in mixed plantings with other drought-tolerant perennials, like coneflowers.

Sweetgrass (Anthoxanthum nitens)

Also known as vanilla sweet grass, this Maine native is famous for its sweetly scented leaves, which have traditionally been used medicinally and for basket weaving by indigenous populations. Today, sweetgrass is a top plant to grow for soil stabilization and erosion control – especially in areas with rich, moist, and even somewhat salty soils. Just keep in mind that sweetgrass can be difficult to control once established, so be choosy about where you plant it!

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Also known as switch panicgrass, switchgrass grows wild in wetlands and sunny meadows, but it holds its own in flower beds too. This clump-forming native grass usually grows to about 3 to 5-feet high and thrives in sun, light shade, and medium to damp soil. Like many other native grasses, switchgrass is also generally resistant to deer predation. Its seedheads, held on sturdy stalks, serve as an important food source for wild birds in fall and winter.

Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium montanum)

Technically, blue-eyed grass is a native flowering perennial, but its slender, grass-like leaves give it a decidedly “grassy” appearance. This pretty plant only grows to about 12 inches high and produces dainty purple flowers in spring and summer that attract pollinators. Planting patches of blue-eyed grass in your lawn can make it look like its blooming, but you can also grow these plants in garden borders, containers, and other tight quarters!

Yellow Prairie Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

If you’re looking for a tall native grass to add height to your flower beds, look no further than yellow prairie grass. Growing between 5 and 10 feet tall, yellow prairie grass is another bunching-type grass that produces tall, yellowish seed heads that dazzle when they’re backlit by the sun. These plants are at their best in full sun and dry soil, and they may need staking to keep their stems upright as they grow if the soil is too rich.

Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica)

Although sedges and grasses are different, these two types of plants have a similar look and function in the garden. Pennsylvania sedge is one of the most popular varieties of native sedges for landscaping, and it can be grown either in ornamental beds or as a grass alternative in low-mow lawns. Staying under 2 feet high, Pennsylvania sedge has a high tolerance for shade and dry soil, and it’s a great plant to grow in tricky locations where other plants just won’t take.

Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis)

Native throughout much of North America, Canada wild rye produces large seed heads that attract birds and add movement to gardens when the wind blows. These plants are often used for soil stabilization and erosion control, but they also work well in mixed wildflower meadows and can be used in dried floral arrangements. Best suited for full sun or part shade areas, Canada wild rye typically maxes out at around 2 to 5 feet in height and it pairs beautifully with native flowers, like asters and goldenrod.

Common Soft Rush (Juncus effusus)

Like sedges, rushes are another grass alternative that provide many of the same benefits as native grasses but tolerate slightly different growing conditions. Common rushes, for example, typically grow in wetland areas, but they also thrive in soggy gardens with drainage issues. If you want to learn about the differences between grasses, rushes, and sedges, we have a full guide on that here!