This week for Flora and Fauna Friday it’s a native warm-season grass of the southern savannas, Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans).
Indiangrass is a large native species of grass found throughout most of South Carolina. It’s sporadically found in savannas, prairies, roadsides, powerline cuts, oldfields, and other open habitats. It’s a bunch grass, meaning the plants grow as single large clumps. Foliage is about waist-level to chest-high and bluish-green. This grass flowers in September and October with small golden flowers in tight, narrow spikes held atop head-high stalks. These flowers mature into large, dense clusters of golden-brown, grain-like seeds. These seeds provide a valuable food source to small mammals and seed eating birds throughout the winter. It’s large, arching growth also provides great cover habitat for these small animals as well as nesting habitat for Bobwhite Quail. Indiangrass is an important ecological component of southern Longleaf Pine savanna ecosystems. It was once far more common in the Lowcountry than it is today. However, after centuries of habitat conversion and fire suppression, its abundance has dwindled across the landscape. However, it is a hardy and resilient species and, once it and fire are reintroduced to an ecosystem, it will prosper! It also makes a wonderful addition to yards with native plant landscaping.
