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A LITTLE MORE LIFE

Eastern gamagrass

Tripsacum dactyloides

Native grass clumps shelter quail, feed seed-eating birds, and host skipper caterpillars.

A field of grass with large, broad leaves and long, thin flowers
Matt Lavin · CC BY-SA 2.0 DE

MAKE IT FEEL AT HOME

A spot to thrive.

A large warm-season grass that needs room; moist, fertile soil supports strong growth.

Sunlight
Full sun
Soil moisture
Moist to wet / Average moisture
Mature size
4–6 ft tall · 2–4 ft wide
Season of interest
Summer
Hardiness
USDA zones 6–9
Garden role
Broad leaves and tall native grass texture
M. 'Adagio' form in bloomJim Janke · CC BY 4.0

ONE GOOD SWAP

Instead of maiden grass.

Miscanthus sinensis

Try eastern gamagrass for broad leaves and tall native grass texture.

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NATIVE TO YOUR PLACE

Find it in your state guide.

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Dig a little deeper.

Plant profile & growing information Native range: Kew Find a native nursery
Photo credits & licenses

Eastern gamagrass: Matt Lavin · CC BY-SA 2.0 DE
Maiden grass: Jim Janke · CC BY 4.0

Resized, converted to WebP, and cropped in the layout. Each photo retains its listed license. All photo credits