Native Grasses: The Perfect Solution for Low-Maintenance Urban Landscapes

Native Grasses: The Perfect Solution for Low-Maintenance Urban Landscapes

As cities expand and urban landscapes develop, the need for sustainable, eco-friendly solutions becomes increasingly urgent. Traditional turf lawns, while visually appealing, often demand excessive water, chemical inputs, and maintenance, making them environmentally unsustainable. Enter native grasses—a robust, low-maintenance alternative that not only enhances the beauty of urban environments but also offers significant ecological advantages. 

Native grasses serve as the foundation of working landscapes, which are designed to improve ecological outcomes while fulfilling human needs. Native grasses can transform urban landscapes, providing solutions for stormwater management, supporting biodiversity, and promoting soil health while creating aesthetically beautiful spaces.

Why Native Grasses?

Native grasses are a group of native plants that have evolved over thousands of years to thrive in specific regions and habitats. They are uniquely adapted to local soil types, climate conditions, and wildlife interactions. Unlike non-native ornamental grasses, which can become invasive and disrupt ecosystems, native grasses offer a harmonious balance between beauty and ecological function. Here’s why they are ideal for urban landscapes:

1. Deep Root Systems: Native grasses develop extensive root networks that can extend several feet into the soil. These roots stabilize the soil, prevent erosion, and enhance water infiltration, making them ideal for managing stormwater runoff—a critical concern in urban areas.
2. Low Maintenance: Once established, native grasses require minimal supplemental watering, mowing, or fertilizing. Their deep roots make them drought-tolerant, decreasing the need for irrigation and conserving water resources.
3. Biodiversity Support: Native grasses offer habitat and sustenance for various wildlife, such as birds, insects, and pollinators. They also bolster soil microorganisms, fostering a healthy and vibrant ecosystem.
4. Carbon Sequestration: Native grasses are highly effective at capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate climate change.
5. Aesthetic Appeal: With their varied textures, colors, and seasonal changes, native grasses add year-round visual interest to urban landscapes. From the steely blue-green foliage of Indiangrass to the fiery fall colors of Little Bluestem, these plants bring unique beauty and diversity to any setting.

Native Grasses for Urban Landscapes

When selecting native grasses for urban projects, it’s important to choose species that are well-suited to the local environment and the specific needs of the landscape. Depending on the site, it may be wise to select a native grass cultivar that retains the benefits of the original native grass while being chosen for consistent height, color, and habit. Below are some of the top native grasses and sedges recommended for urban settings.

1. Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)
   • Height: 6-8 feet (tall clumping grass)
   • Conditions: Full sun
   • Features: Steely blue-green foliage with feathery yellow-orange seed heads
   • Uses: Conservation areas, rights-of-way, and large meadows
   • Cultivars: ‘Indian Steel’, ‘Sioux Bluebird
2. Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
   • Height: 2-3 feet
   • – Conditions: Sunny, dry soil
   • – Features: Blue-green foliage transforms to red and orange in the fall. It is deer-resistant and beneficial for birds and insects.
   • – Uses: Urban gardens, meadows, and erosion control
   • – Cultivars: ‘Standing Ovation’, ‘Blaze’, ‘Blue Heaven’, ‘The Blues’
3. Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
   • Height: 2-3 feet
   • Conditions: Tolerates a variety of soils, including heavy clay and dry, rocky soil
   • Features: Airy golden seed heads and dependable height and shape
   • Uses: Groundcover, borders, and mass plantings
4. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
   • Height: 3-6 feet (depending on cultivar)
   • Conditions: Suitable for a variety of soils, including dry, moist, sandy, or clay. Salt-tolerant
   • Uses: Erosion control, coastal landscapes, and rain gardens
   • Cultivars: ‘Shenandoah’ (3 ft), ‘North Wind’ (4 ft), ‘Prairie Fire’ (4 ft), ‘Heavy Metal’ (3-5 ft).
5. Native Sedges (Carex spp.) Sedges are grass-like plants that thrive in a variety of conditions, making them excellent ground covers for urban landscapes. Here are some top selections:
   • Common Wood Sedge (Carex blanda): Adaptable, evergreen, and resistant to deer. Perfect for full sun or shade.
   • Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica): This low-growing plant thrives in dry shade and forms colonies through rhizomes.
   • Tussock Sedge (Carex stricta): Evergreen and ideal for bioswales, rain gardens, and pond margins.
   • Yellow Fox Sedge (Carex annectens): Golden yellow flowers in late spring. Great for wet areas and attracts birds and insects.

Ecological Benefits of Native Grasses in Urban Landscapes

1. Stormwater Management: Urban areas often struggle with excess stormwater runoff, which can lead to flooding and water pollution. Native grasses, with their deep roots, improve soil infiltration and reduce runoff, making them ideal for rain gardens, bioswales, and other green infrastructure projects.
   
   A bioswale is a curved channel carved into the land and planted with native plants, shrubs and trees. Bioswales collect and convey stormwater runoff from roads, roofs, and parking lots. They filter pollutants from the stormwater, recharge the groundwater table, and prevent erosion caused by high-volume flow. A bioswale differs from a rain garden. It slows and directs water movement using deep-rooted native plants and sometimes features gradual slopes or stonework. This reduces the energy of the excess stormwater, allowing it to move slowly and infiltrate into an existing drainage or storm system. Bioswales are best suited to be near roofs, roads, parking lots, and driveways, where they can catch and direct stormwater coming off hard surfaces.
   
   Rain gardens, on the other hand, are designed as shallow depressions meant to increase infiltration. They do not have an outlet to convey runoff outside the garden’s borders.
   
   Both rain gardens and bioswales can add color and wildlife value to urban districts, making them more appealing than stormwater detention basins.
2. Enhanced soil health: Native grasses add organic matter, channel nutrients and moisture into the ground, improve soil structure, and support microbial life. Their roots break up compacted soil, which promotes aeration and water retention.
3. Biodiversity: Native grasses provide habitat and food for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. They also support soil microorganisms, creating a thriving underground ecosystem.
4. Climate Resilience: Native grasses are naturally adapted to local climate conditions, which makes them more resilient to extreme weather events like droughts and floods. Their deep roots enable them to access water during dry spells, decreasing the need for irrigation.
5. Carbon Sequestration: By capturing and storing carbon dioxide, native grasses help mitigate the effects of climate change. Their extensive root systems also help prevent soil erosion, and store carbon in the ground.
6. Phytoremediation: Phytoremediation is a technique that employs plants to clean up contaminated soil and water. Native grasses are strong candidates for phytoremediation because they grow quickly, adapt well to infertile soils, and produce high biomass yields. Native species such as switchgrass and Indian grass are particularly suitable due to their high biomass production, rapid growth, adaptability to poor soils, and ability to regrow shoots after harvesting.

Designing with Native Grasses

Incorporating native grasses into urban landscapes requires thoughtful planning and design. Here are some tips for creating beautiful, functional spaces with native grasses:

1. Layered Plantings: Combine native grasses with various native plants, including wildflowers and shrubs, to build a rich, multi-layered landscape. This method imitates natural ecosystems and boosts biodiversity.
2. Mass Plantings: Utilize native grasses in large swathes to create a striking visual effect. Mass plantings are particularly effective in meadows, parks, and along roadsides.
3. Rain Gardens and Bioswales: Native grasses are excellent for rain gardens and bioswales, as they assist in managing stormwater and filtering pollutants.
4. Erosion Control: Use native grasses on slopes and embankments to stabilize soil and prevent erosion.
5. Low-Maintenance Lawns: Substitute traditional turf lawns with native grasses to establish low-maintenance, eco-friendly landscapes. Native grasses need less mowing, watering, and fertilizing, making them a sustainable alternative.

Conclusion: A Greener Future with Native Grasses

Native grasses are more than just plants—they are a solution to many of the environmental challenges facing urban landscapes. From stormwater management to biodiversity support, these plants offer a sustainable, low-maintenance alternative to traditional turf lawns. By incorporating native grasses into urban designs, we can create landscapes that are not only beautiful but also resilient, eco-friendly, and beneficial to the planet.

As we look to the future, the use of native grasses in urban landscapes will play a critical role in building healthier, more sustainable cities. By choosing native plants, we can restore ecosystems, support wildlife, and create spaces that inspire and endure. Together, we can transform urban landscapes into thriving green havens that benefit both people and the planet.

Forrest Keeling: Your Partner in Native Landscaping

Forrest Keeling Nursery is a leader in native plant production, offering a wide range of native grasses and sedges for urban landscapes. Their patented RPM-production technology^R ensures superior survivability and accelerated growth, making their plants ideal for conservation restoration projects, urban environments, and agroforestry. With over 75 years of experience, Forrest Keeling is dedicated to restoring Earth’s ecosystems, one tree—and one blade of grass—at a time.

Whether you’re planning a small urban garden or a large-scale restoration project, Forrest Keeling can supply the native plants and expertise necessary for success. Contact their team for suggestions and information on native plant availability.

Forrest Keeling… it’s where the best native grasses begin!