Native Grasses, Rushes, and Sedges

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Home>Native Plant Resource Center>Upper Peninsula Native Plants>Native Grasses, Rushes, and Sedges

Native Grasses, Rushes, and Sedges

Canada Wild-rye (Elymus canadensis) [Click here to view full size picture]

Grasses and sedges perform many important environmental functions. They help create humus in the soil with their roots and leaves while holding slopes in place and protecting streambanks and other water edges from eroding. They feed butterflies, birds, and mammals with their seeds and flowers. These plants are important components of several native ecosystems, such as prairies, woodlands and wetlands, and using them adds to the plant diversity in the garden.

Native Grasses Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) Bottlebrush grass (Hystrix patula) Canada Wild-rye (Elymus canadensis) Fringed brome (Bromus ciliatus) Hairgrass (Deschampsia flexuosa) Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) Sweet grass (Hierochloe odorata) Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) Virginia Wild-rye (Elymus virginicus)	Native Rushes Hardstem bulrush (Scirpus acutus) Path rush (Juncus tenius) Soft-stemmed rush (Juncus effusus) Softstem bulrush (Scirpus validus)
Native Sedges Longhair Sedge (Carex comosa) Bladder Sedge (Carex intumescens) Fringed Sedge (Carex crinita) Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica) Tussock Sedge (Carex stricta) Wool grass (Scirpus cyperinus)