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

https://www.outsidepride.com/seed/native-grass-seed/native-grass-planting/

Our drought-tolerant, perennial native grass seed mixture is designed for water conservation and thrives in full sun, growing to a height of 8-12 inches. It includes Buffalo Grass, Blue Grama, Sheep’s Fescue, and Sideoats Grama, each offering unique benefits. Buffalo Grass, a low-growing, sod-forming grass, is ideal for erosion control and provides good grazing. Blue Grama, known for its drought resistance and ability to grow in various soils, is essential for range management. Sheep’s Fescue is valued for its low maintenance and soil stabilization properties, while Sideoats Grama is a hardy, tall grass suitable for diverse environments and effective in erosion control. This mixture is well-suited for areas where water conservation and minimal maintenance are priorities. They are available in 3 different sizes to suit your gardening needs.
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Native and Low-Growing
Our lawn grass seeds are native to the Great Plains and adapted to low-growing forms to conserve water and withstand harsh conditions. Buffalo Grass and Blue Grama remain short to survive drought, Sheep’s Fescue stabilizes soils, and Sideoats Grama although taller, is suited for grazing and drought. Their native origin and growth habits make them ideal for water conservation.
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Good Grazing for Livestock
Our perennial short native grass seed mix is ideal for livestock grazing due to their high nutritional value and resilience. Buffalo Grass and Blue Grama provide palatable, nutritious forage and recover well from grazing, while Sheep’s Fescue and Sideoats Grama also offer good forage and adaptability, making them reliable feed sources.
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Excellent erosion control
The dense growth and extensive root systems of this native grass mix makes them excellent for erosion control. Buffalo Grass and Blue Grama stabilize soil with their mat-forming and deep-rooted structures, while Sheep’s Fescue and Sideoats Grama offer effective ground cover, preventing soil erosion and stabilizing disturbed areas.
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Mix Warm Season Grass
This native grass seeds excels as a warm-season grass blend due to its ability to thrive in high temperatures and sunny conditions. Buffalo Grass, Blue Grama, and Sideoats Grama grow well in warm weather, ensuring strong performance throughout the summer. Their drought tolerance and low maintenance needs further enhance their suitability for hot climates.
This grass blend is slow-growing due to its natural adaptation to conserving resources in harsh environments. Its gradual growth helps it remain resilient and low maintenance. As a natural ground cover, it thrives in sandy and finer soils, attracting pollinators and supporting biodiversity by providing habitat and forage for various species.
Enhance your xeriscaping and water conservation efforts with our heat-tolerant grass seed. This native grass seed requires minimal maintenance and is well-suited for summer grass seed projects. Its adaptability to various soil types, including sandy soils, ensures successful establishment. Perfect for conserving water while maintaining a beautiful landscape, this grass seed for southern lawns is the best grass seed for southern lawns in arid regions. Achieve a lush, drought-resistant lawn effortlessly.
This heat-tolerant grass seed is ideal for new turf and ornamental plantings. Follow proper seeding techniques by broadcasting or drilling the seed to a depth of 1/4 to 3/8 inches. For optimal results, use 1-2 lbs per 1,000 square feet, or 5 lbs per acre when planting with wildflowers. If planting the grass mix alone, use 8 lbs per acre. Planting should be done from late spring to early summer with wildflowers, or late spring to mid-summer for the grass mix only. It is suitable for the central and Midwestern U.S., Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, western New York, western Pennsylvania, western Virginia, western North Carolina, and Tennessee. It thrives on upland sites with moderate to drier soils and elevations below 6,000 feet.

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.