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Gardeners and designers have embraced the sturdy virtues of these robust native grasses. Great breeding from Intrinsic Perennial Gardens has further amplified ornamental value. Necessary and nice, you'll be glad you added these eco-friendly elements to your program. Andropogon gerardii'Holy Smoke' PP33929Rigid red flower stems rise to five feet tall over 30" stands of upright/arching foliage.The hardy, drought-tolerant foliage takes on beautiful hues of reds and purples for a lovely fall displa

Over the delicate grassesA breath, a spirit passes,A song, and the odor of bloom—Give way! Make room!an excerpt from Dance of the Seasons by Harriet MonroeThe breeze can’t resist gliding gracefully through the fine, hair-like blades of prairie dropseed, sending wafts of fragrance to greet passersby.Don’t let the common name hit the wrong note. This lovely, self-sufficient native grass is a clump-former, not a vigorous spreader.Declared a “Plant of Merit” by Missouri Botanical Garden for “ou

If you like your beauty with a side of beast,Panicum is your kind of grass.Indigenous to North America, "Switchgrass" transcends the native niche. It's just as comfortable in the traditional border as in meadow or prairie plantings. The fine sprays of its sun-catching inflorescence lend a deceptively dainty air, but don't be fooled: This is one sturdy genus, hardy all the way to Zone 4 (3 with protection).Panicum v. 'Hot Rod' PP26074Start your engines! This Emerald Coast Growers introductio

Bouteloua gracilis' Blonde Ambition' is one of the most sought-after grasses to hit the market in years. This nifty North American native stands just two feet tall in flower, but it ranks high on the Most Wanted list of discerning growers and landscapers.Heavy stands of chartreuse flowers mature quickly to blonde "eyelash" seedheads, held at a jaunty angle, dancing in the breeze like cheerful little pennants. Clumps of fine blue-green foliage complete the picture. No wonder it's a Plant Selec

Remember that old comedy team, the Smothers Brothers? At some point during their TV show Tom would glare at Dick and blurt, “Mom always liked you best!”In “side-oats grama,” we have a long-suffering, attention-deserving American native grass unfairly eclipsed by its better-known sibling, the lovely, scheming B. gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’. B. curtipendula is a charming, versatile, self-sufficient warm-season grass. Dense clumps of slender bluish-gray blades stand two feet tall. Small but attrac