Short Native Grass Seed Mixture For Drought Tolerance & Xeriscaping

Short Native Grass Seed

Grass Specifications:

Season: Perennial

USDA Zones: 3 - 9

Environment: Full sun

Height: 8 - 12 inches

 

This drought tolerant native grass seed mixture of warm season grasses as well as sheep's fescue which will grow to a height of 8 - 12 inches. It may be planted alone or with a mixture of wildflowers.  Plant anywhere where water conservation is a priority.

 

This mixture contains:

  • Buffalo Grass
  • Blue Grama
  • Sheeps Fescue
  • Sideoats Grama

Buffalo grass is a fine-leaved, native, sod-forming, warm-season, perennial and is the dominant species on the short-grass region of the central Great Plains. Generally, it grows 4 to 8 inches high and produces leaves less than 1/8 inch wide and 3 to 6 inches long. It spreads rapidly by surface runners and forms a dense, matted turf (great for lawns).

Buffalo grass provides good grazing for livestock. Its palatability, prevalence, and adaptation to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions make it an important forage species of the Great Plains where it is considered a drought tolerant native grass. Growth begins in mid spring and continues through the summer.

Buffalo grass withstands long, heavy grazing better than any other native grass on ranges consistently subjected to severe use. It often survives as a nearly pure stand. Because of its excellent ground cover, ability to spread under use, wide climatic adaptation, and relative ease of establishment, Buffalo grass is ideally suited for erosion control on range and pasturelands.  Probably the most popular of the low growing native grasses.

Blue Grama is a short growing, drough tolerant, long-lived, warm-season, native perennial grass that grows throughout the Great Plains. The leaves are 3 to 6 inches long and less than 1/4 inch wide.

Blue grama is found on most soil types, including alkaline soils, but is most abundant on the heavier, upland soils. Its capacity to resist drought permits it to occupy the drier areas throughout its range of adaptation.

Growth begins fairly late in the season and depends on how much moisture is available. The forage is relished by all classes of livestock. Growth ceases during long droughts, but begins again upon the return of favorable moisture and temperature. Because of its wide distribution, high quality, hardiness, and growth habits, it is one of our most important range species. Under heavy grazing, blue grama often persists in nearly pure stands after the associated grasses disappear. Blue grama is readily established from native grass seed and is now used in low maintenance, xeriscape lawns.

Sheep fescue is a competitive grass that’s primary use is ground cover. It is an important species for stabilizing disturbed soils because of its low growth form and its low maintenance. It has excellent cold tolerance and good drought tolerance.

  • 1 - 2 lbs/1,000 square feet
  • 5 lbs./acre when planting with wildflowers
  • 8 lbs./acre grass mix only

Planting times: late spring to early summer, with wildflowers. Late spring to mid summer, grass mix only.
Planting range: can be planted in the central and Midwestern U.S., Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, western New York, western Pennsylvania, western Virginia, western N. Carolina and Tennessee. Best for upland sites, moderate to drier soils. For elevations below 6,000 feet.