08/27/2026
As an addendum to my last post on grasses, because I wanted to feature this one separately, this is a true wild native grass that, in my opinion, should be added to the ornamental grasses list. The habit should appear familiar to you. It is a type of bluestem, but not "little bluestem." It is commonly known as Elliott's bluestem, Anatherum gyrans, and it started popping up in my yard on its own a few years ago. All I did was not kill them when I killed off the grass. Some I moved into existing beds. It is far more upright than dense at the base, and a bit slow to grow. This one is older than the seed-grown ones I showed before. In the fall, it will turn a firey orange color and maintain that (without flopping over, I might add) until new growth resumes in the spring. The winter color is where it truly takes the spotlight. In the summer, it's habit gives it an "architectural" appeal to the natural landscape. In the wild it may appear more scraggly and lanky, but give it a spot in the garden and it looks much more "put together."
