In my experience there are few grasses which can hold until this drought-deluge cycle of a plains summertime, but Indian bud is one of these. A native to tall-grass prairies, it is often found alongside big bluestem and switchgrass, residing on slopes and in dry soils in full sun, carpeting the landscape using late-summer seed heads and autumn swaths of orange, crimson and gold. Of all the tall grasses, this is actually the one I would most recommend.
Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens
Botanical name: Sorghastrum nutans
Common title: Indian bud
USDA zones: 4 to 9 (find your zone)
Water necessity: Drought tolerant once established
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature dimensions: 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet broad
advantages and tolerances: Crowds out weeds; offers winter cover and seeds for birds; hosts some skipper butterflies
Seasonal attention: The marijuana remains low until late summer, when tall seed spikes erupt in the sunlight. Fall color is excellent; winter attention is superb.
When to plant: Early spring to late fall; mulch well in late fall to prevent frost heave.
Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens
Distinguishing traits. The seed heads will be the most obvious attribute of Indian bud. They stay strong all winter, barely bothered by wind or snow. The low mound of foliage, nevertheless, provides a nice skirt to prairie flowers that grow through it, shading the ground and keeping in moisture.
Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens
The best way to utilize it. Low autumn sunlight frequently casts a warm glow during the Indian bud and liatris (foreground).
In case you can not have a water feature in the backyard, marijuana is the next best thing — as the wind blows through Indian bud, it gets the most soothing sound from midsummer to the late winter cut-down. Consider using Indian bud as a semiformal solitude hedge or sprinkled among taller blossoms like liatris, sunflowers, blue lavender or goldenrod for a more natural prairie look on arid soils.
Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens
If you look closely at the wind-pollinated seed heads, you’ll observe the delicate workings of blossoms in full glory.
Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens
Gardens can be just as alive and dynamic in the winter, which is one reason to never cut them down in fall. Here, snow creates a shadow of the bud’ summer form, delighting us from inside a warm home and echoing the garden’s summer glory. Birds frequently take refuge under the thick foliage as well during chilly afternoons.
Missouri Botanical Garden
Planting notes. Indian bud is fairly adaptable. Plant it in spring, summer or drop in a sterile clay or rocky soil; even a well-drained loam will get the job done. Once established it can take drought quite well, requiring only an occasional supplemental watering. (This photo shows the ‘Sioux Blue’ cultivar, whose foliage is a grayish blue)