Best Native Grasses For Landscaping In Tennessee And The Southeast
Ideal native grasses for a Southeastern garden include Pennsylvania sedge‚ Cherokee sedge‚ Texas sedge‚ switchgrass‚ little bluestem and bulrush․ These grasses will grow well in different soil types‚ moisture levels and light conditions in a Tennessee native plant garden․ Instead choose by what kind of space you have available rather than by how a grass looks in a photo‚ avoiding frustrating trial and error․
Native grasses do something that most of our ornamentals cannot: they are already adapted to our clay soil‚ to our summer humidity and our freeze-thaw winters‚ and they need less babysitting after establishment․ They have deeper root structures to hold our soil in place‚ and they are real habitat for our pollinators and birds․ So here's a rundown of the varieties you might want to plant‚ and what happens once you do․
Pennsylvania Sedge
Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)‚ a shade tolerant native to eastern North America․ The lawn sedge will survive through most of the year‚ including relatively mild winters in Tennessee‚ and will stay short (less than 8 in)․ It is a great substitute for a lawn where grass won't grow‚ such as under old oaks and maples‚ along old property lines or easements‚ or in a shady side yard that never fills in․
Though it does spread by rhizome‚ it spreads slowly‚ so plugs should be spaced 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) apart‚ either in spring or in autumn․ Stock will not aggregate to fill the space until the next year․ Once the plants are established in the soil (usually late in the second year) the result is a thick mat which will choke out most weed growth․ Mowing is rarely required‚ but may be needed in late winter to remove old mass․ It is rated for Zones 4-9 so should do well anywhere in Middle or East Tennessee․
Texas Sedge
Compared to Pennsylvania sedge‚ it is more cold hardy‚ more drought tolerant‚ less stiff‚ more tufted‚ and does well in full sun․ Soils of this region are similar to that of the heavy clay soils of Middle Tennessee․ In gardens‚ Texas sedge can grow in this type of soil with little or no amendment․
Because of its short stature (no more than 12 in high)‚ it can make a good edging plant‚ or be set between stepping stones․ It is perhaps less commonly found at big box garden centers than many of the plants on this list‚ and so could be a good choice for someone looking for a bit of variety from their neighbors' gardens․ It prefers well drained soils‚ unlike some other sedge species that prefer to be grown in wet conditions․
Cherokee Sedge
Cherokee sedge (Carex cherokeensis)‚ a sedge of the Southeast‚ is not a milfoil or even a water plant‚ but a typical woodland-or-meadow sedge with fine dark green weeping foliage․ This is one of the more flexible (soft non-stiff) sedges to use in a border or edging situation‚ as its weakly arching fountain shape softens the straight lines of most walls and paths․
It tolerates sun and partial shade better than the Texas sedge and is best sited near downspouts or low spots in a perennial bed that catch water after rain․ In good conditions‚ the clumps of sedge grow 12 to 18 inches high and spread outwards but retain their mass in the center․ After every 3-4 years‚ congested clumps should be divided in early spring to maintain vigor․
Bulrush
A bulrush (Scirpus species) is not a dwarf‚ cool-climate‚ pot-crop ornamental plant‚ but a wetland plant growing at the margins of ponds and rain gardens․ Bulrushes are one of the best plants that can be used for stabilizing a bank or drainage swale․ Depending on species‚ they can grow from 2 to 5 feet (61 to 152 cm) tall‚ with tall round stems‚ and can provide an excellent vertical accent in a water garden or in a low-lying part of the garden that never really dries out․
In the area‚ which after each rain is damp and often wet‚ bulrush will serve better than almost any turf‚ as it will send strong rhizomes into every wet spot․ It fills in within 2-3 growing seasons when given space and is genuinely good for wildlife; waterfowl and songbirds use it for cover and as nesting sites․
Switchgrass
No list of Southeast grasses would be complete without switchgrass‚ Panicum virgatum․ A prairie grass‚ switchgrass is widely distributed across nearly all of the eastern and central United States․ It is better-adapted to the heat and humidity of Tennessee than most ornamental grasses sold in nurseries‚ and depending on the cultivar may be 3 to 6 ft (0․91 to 1․83 m) in height․ Fuzzy plume-like heads of seed can add vertical interest to the garden during winter months after other plants have entered dormancy․
Switchgrass will tolerate poor soils‚ and once established is drought-resistant and also will tolerate periodic flooding․ It is a tough grass that only needs to be cut back occasionally to 6 inches (150 mm) during late winter before regrowth in early spring․
Little Bluestem
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a native warm-season bunchgrass 2 or 3 feet (0․6 or 0․9 m) tall with summer coloration that is blue-green and with fall coloration that is copper-orange‚ the fall color persisting through the winter․ Slow growing in its first year‚ it makes an attractive dense clump by its second or third year and requires little care or dividing․
Dense foliage makes it useful among mixed native plantings and as an addition to any native wildflower planting‚ because it does not compete with fast-spreading grasses․
Matching Grasses to Your Site
Native grasses are selected mostly for their ornamental value‚ rather than the moisture and light conditions of the planting site․ Bulrush is also a good choice for very wet areas and Cherokee sedge is a wet shade species․ For use on dry sunny banks‚ consider switchgrass or little bluestem; for replacing a shady lawn‚ Pennsylvania sedge․ Naturalized border area or partial shade: Texas sedge․
At TN Nursery we grow our native sedges and grasses in the soil and climate conditions they will encounter when you plant them here in Tennessee․ A plant grown in a totally different climate and shipped in often has a hard time with the soil and the rain and the climate in Tennessee․
Planting And Care Basics
Fall planting (September to November) allows the grass to establish itself earlier․ Since temperatures are generally cooler yet soil is warmer in fall‚ roots are able to grow before the onset of winter dormancy; spring planting may be successful but requires more careful watering․ Little or no fertilizer is needed for most of these grasses other than a light spring dressing of compost‚ and they are very drought tolerant once established․
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