Indianreed, Indiangrass
Whole plant
Family : Poaceae
Longevity : Perennial
Origin : Native
Season : Warm
One of the “Big Four” tallgrass prairie grasses, Yellow Indiangrass can be found growing in both the Edwards Plateau and the South Texas Plains. It prefers fertile, moist soils from heavy clays to sands. The stems can reach a height of 3 to 6 feet and have small hairs at the nodes. The long leaves have hairs at the collars and are 4 to 12 inches long and 3/16 to 3/8 inch wide. Yellow Indiangrass is an indicator of good range condition, a good seed producer, and is a good forage for livestock. It is highly palatable to livestock and wildlife during the summer, but tends to only be fair forage during the fall and winter. Indiangrass also provides excellent nesting cover for upland game birds. The seeds are eaten by small mammals and numerous song birds. It blooms from September to November.
Click on image to enlarge
