Got Any Good Grass?

No, not that kind of grass! I'm talking about native grasses.

Around here, they're our favorite kind, for several reasons.

First, they're well-adapted. They evolved here and are adapted to the soil types, rainfall, temperatures, diseases, herbivores, competitors, and periodic wildfires. This means they're hardy, disease-resistant, and don't need any supplemental water.

Native grasses also play an important role in ground water absorption and help to recharge our underground aquifers. They have deep root systems - typically the roots extend about the same height into the ground as the plant is tall. The Indian grass pictured below, near our house, stands over 5 feet tall. The deep roots allow rainwater to percolate into the soil and eventually reach our aquifers. Aquifers are an important source of our drinking water.

Here's a closeup of the seed head.

Native grasses also help to minimize soil erosion. They typically grow in thick clumps and because of their height, they slow rain drops down enough so when the drop reaches the ground it has lost most of its energy and does not disturb the soil when it impacts. The slowly moving water also has a chance to soak into the ground and does not just run downhill, taking soil with it.

There is an evolutionary process known as plant or ecological succession. The idea is that plant communities evolve in a particular sequence, continually altering the local environment. As the environment changes, other plant communities take hold and the original ones may disappear. The culmination of this process, over a long period of time, is known as the climax community. Climax communities typically show a great deal of diversity and are relatively stable.

Central Texas was part of a great prairie which encompassed most of the Great Plains of the United States. There are four climax grasses in a prairie in this region: Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), Big bluestem (Andropgon gerardi), Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).

In addition to Indiangrass, we also have Big and Little bluestem on our property. The only climax grass we haven't seen is Switchgrass and we probably won't because it requires lots of water.

I guess your homeowner's association might frown if you decided to let your lawn's turfgrass die and replaced it with 5 foot tall native grasses, but you might consider them as accents or ornamentals in a suburban neighborhood. The Dallas Morning News recently had an article about a Plano man who converted his yard into a wild prairie.

Maybe that's the wave of the future.