10/22/2026
Long slanting sunlight in autumn makes the grasses sparkle.
Side Oats Grama -- look how the seedheads light up once they've matured. The foliage remains green until truly cold weather arrives, and the base of stems turn a reddish-purple.
Side Oats Grama is perfect for well-drained, dry and average soil in sunny spots. It's a great companion for Nodding Onion, Late Purple Aster and Dotted Horse Mint -- each of these plants thrives in our rocky soil, especially in low-competition gardens.
Meanwhile, Woodland Brome prefers at least a touch of shade. Plant this natve grass in average, rocky, or otherwise well-drained soil. Part sun to part shade will do well for it.
Woodland Brome foliage stays a bright green until the cold settles in. The upper parts -- the seedheads -- turn a pretty straw-like color. We add Big Leaf Aster, Sweet Joe Pye, and Upland Boneset to native plantings with Woodland Brome.
If you're assembling woodland restoration or garden, a canopy of Black Birch, Northern Red Oak and Shagbark Hickory is a great start. Add shrubs like Spicebush to support bees (early spring blooms), birds (autumn fruit) and butterflies (host plant for the Spicebush swallowtail).
Make sure to add grasses to your ecological garden plantings and restoration plans. You'll enjoy their beauty!
