Florida Native Bunch Grasses

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Florida Native Bunch Grasses

A LANDSCAPE ALTERNATIVE WITH MANY ADVANTAGES

To every cloud there is a silver lining, or is it, that some rain must fall? In any case, almost everyone has had to deal with the problems associated with growing turf during this severe 3 year drought and water shortage. We are lucky in west central Florida to have a diversity of beautiful native groundcovers and other native plants to use in the redesign of the now, numerous declining lawns and landscapes. Florida native plants provide a distinct potential to be able to use plants that have evolved and are adapted to the environmental variations of our area.

Florida native bunch grass.

Besides lack of drought tolerance, why would somebody want to reduce the area of turf on their property? Lawns all too often are maintained by fertilizer. The run off from these fertilizers is a known, major contributor of pollution to Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay, or virtually any lake, pond, or body of water. The pesticides used in turf maintenance add real life drama carried out in the form of poisoning when adult songbirds carry the poisoned insects back to young nestlings, if the adults themselves don't die from the poison first. Add to that, a special emphasis on Florida's normally inhospitable environment for currently used turf choices, and we have a need to examine lawn alternatives more closely.

First step is to recognize that from an ecological perspective, the traditional mowed turfgrass lawns are monocultures. In other words, they provide little plant diversity to support beneficial insects, songbirds and shorebirds, or any other elements of our natural environment. Perhaps we now have a chance to recreate a landscape with varied layers and groupings of plants capable of hosting life within the framework of our region's ecology. This takes a little more effort to understand and plan, but yields rewards to ourselves and the other creatures occupying our properties, once part of a habitat. Another benefit is the reduction of the impact of possible diseases and insects in a more varied landscape while creating an appropriate sense of place by using plants that are "real" Floridians.

Notice the leaf color that can make bunch grasses such an effective landscaping tool.

Florida's small native bunch grasses range mostly in heights of 16" to 24" and include excellent alternates for dry landscape coverage. From a design perspective they can be used in generous rolls, rifts and layers, duplicating the predominance of bunch grasses in some of our natural habitats. Use them to create a flowing frame work to an otherwise diverse selection of plants in your landscape. Along with other cover plants they may be used to help reduce or eliminate turf grass entirely. Spacing bunch grasses far enough apart at planting time provides space to insert select wildflowers between the clumps as nature often does. This can produce a natural and awe striking effect for the human senses as well as attracting some pretty wonderful butterflies.

A quick list would include species such as the broad bladed chalky blue foliage of Elliott Love Grass, Eragrostis elliottii, and the purple/red fall flowering of Purple Love Grass, Eragrostis spectabilis. For fine textured, narrow bladed grasses, consider the once dominant Wiregrass, Aristida beyrichiana, or Pineywoods Dropseed, Sporobolus junceus, with it's shimmering maroon/tan flower heads. Pineywoods Dropseed flowers much of the year, and along with many native grasses, provides seed for birds. If shadowing or dappled sun presents a problem for the sun loving grasses, try Dwarf Fakahatchee Grass, Tripsacum floridanum, for a pretty choice in sunny or moderately reduced light levels.

Mid size and larger bunch grasses (3"-4" in height) also offer layering possibilities in the landscape. You may recognize the purple/red haze of the fall flowering Muhly Grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris, from its recent popularity and use in public and residential landscapes. Sand Cordgrass, Spartina bakerii, is another pretty grass with a narrow leaf blade that reflects sun for a striking, shiny appearance. For more bluish coloring there is Chalky Bluestem, Andropogon virginicus, variety, glauca, and Lopsided Indian Grass, Sorghastrum secundum.

There are many more good landscape bunch grass choices with over 500 species of grasses native to the state. Grasses with their beautiful flowing movements are a psychologically soothing effect, and considering their qualities, can be addictive!

To learn more about Florida's native bunch grasses and other useful and beautiful native plants pick up a copy of the new publication, "A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants" by Rufino Osorio, published by University Press of Florida.