Create Your Garden

Native Grasses for North Carolina

About 25 percent of the plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

Native Plants, Native Grasses, North Carolina Native Grasses, North CarolinaNative Ornamental Grasses

From the Atlantic Coastal Plain to the Piedmont region and to the Appalachian Mountains, North Carolina’s landscape is carpeted with a rich array of wildflowers and native plants. It is home to many species of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Noted for its short, mild winters and sultry summers, North Carolina can also support many non-native species which are beginning to make their way across the landscape. Regrettably, some of these exotic immigrants are invasive and are threatening the native flora and ecology of the state.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, Invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species and 18% of U.S. endangered or threatened species. Invasive species compete directly with native species for moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and space. They displace and alter native plant communities, degrade wildlife habitat and water quality, and potentially increase soil erosion.

The federal government has estimated that nearly 25 percent of the 20,000 plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction, many of these through habitat loss. You can help reverse this trend by planting native plants in your garden.

A plant is considered native if naturally occurring in a particular region or ecosystem without human introduction. There are many benefits to growing native plants.

  • First, these plants are better adapted to soils, moisture, and weather than exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world. They need fewer fertilizers and pesticides or use less water.
  • Second, they are unlikely to escape and become invasive, destroying natural habitats.
  • Third, they support wildlife, providing shelter and food for native birds and insects, while exotic plants do not.

Here is a list of North Carolina native grasses well-suited for garden plantings.

  • Never collect native plants from the wild, as it will deplete natural ecosystems. 
  • When possible, plant species grown straight from local seed sources. These native originals are the best choice, as they co-evolved with specific wildlife, which supports migration, breeding, and other seasonal interdependencies.

Guide Information

Plant Type Ornamental Grasses
Native Plants North Carolina, Southeast, United States

Recommended Native Grasses for North Carolina

Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem)
Andropogon glomeratus (Bushy Bluestem)
Andropogon ternarius (Splitbeard Bluestem)
Andropogon virginicus (Broom Sedge)
Carex grayi (Mace Sedge)
Carex stricta (Tussock Sedge)
Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats)
Deschampsia flexuosa (Wavy Hair Grass)
Elymus hystrix (Bottlebrush Grass)
Eragrostis spectabilis (Purple Love Grass)
Festuca rubra (Red Fescue)
Muhlenbergia capillaris (Pink Muhly Grass)
Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)
Scirpus cyperinus (Wool Grass)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass)
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed)
Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gamma Grass)

Discover Helpful North Carolina Guides for Further Reading

Discover more beautiful North Carolina native plants

North Carolina native plants

Plant Finder

Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Middle South Lower South
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Plant Type Ornamental Grasses
Native Plants North Carolina, Southeast, United States
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Middle South Lower South

Related Items

Please Login to Proceed

You Have Reached The Free Limit, Please Subscribe to Proceed

Subscribe to Gardenia

To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of Gardenia
  • Add as many plants as you wish
  • Create and save up to 25 garden collections
Become a Member

Plant Added Successfully

You have Reached Your Limit

To add more plants, you must be a paid member of our site Become a Member

Update Your Credit
Card Information

Cancel

Create a New Collection

Sign Up to Our Newsletter

    You have been subscribed successfully

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Find your Hardiness Zone

    Find your Heat Zone

    Find your Climate Zone