





Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 4-9
- Mature Height: 2-3' tall
- Mature Width: 1-2' wide
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Spacing: 1-2' wide
FEATURES:
- May Benefit & Attract: Thrushes, waxwings, wood warblers, finches, mockingbirds & thrashers, chickadees & titmice, orioles, cardinals & grosbeaks, crows & jays, sparrows, nuthatches, vireos, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and wrens
- The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow.
- This bird-friendly native trees provides food and shelter for local and migrating birds and other wildlife
- All Audubon® branded trees are grown 100% Neonic-free by Bower & Branch, making these plants safer for the birds and safer for the environment.
- Hand Selected, Fresh from the Grower
- Ships in a plant-safe designed box
Why the Audubon® Sideoats Grama?
Fringes are fabulous in bird habitat gardens! They provide food, shelter, and nesting materials, and they’re beautiful to look at, too. Sideoats Grama is an especially fine Fringe for your backyard bird sanctuary. This elegant but playful native plant makes a V-shaped clump of grassy foliage topped by arching stems hung with dangling seeds. Birds that forage at ground level—like juncos, sparrows, and towhees—may dine on the seeds. Sideoats Grama serves as a host plant to several moths and butterflies, and songbirds will feed on the caterpillars they find there as well. Don’t forget the Fringe!
You have probably never heard of Sideoats Grama, but it’s actually a pretty big deal. This wide-ranging Fringe is native from Canada all the way to Argentina! In the U.S., it is present in all but six of the Lower 48 states (it is absent in North Carolina and five New England states). It’s especially plentiful on the Great Plains, where it controls erosion and provides wildlife habitat for prairie chickens, quail, and grouse. It also serves as fodder for horses, cattle, and sheep—though it once nourished huge, roaming herds of bison. Sideoats Grama is the official state grass of Texas.
How to use in the landscape?
Precious flowers! Sideoats Grama flowers in mid-summer. The tiny blooms are inconspicuous except for the fact that the stamens are bright orange-red. When viewed up close, you’ll find that they’re quite adorable! With the sun shining through them, they sparkle like jewels.
Why Bower & Branch?
We do the hard part. Our trees and plants are grown and cared for by only the best, local growers for years before they find their forever home in your landscape. Bower & Branch is known for having hard-to-find, substantial sizes and selection. The quality of our trees and plants are consistent in health and vigor—always ready for immediate impact in your garden and instant curb appeal. We believe in empowering homeowners with the truth about strong, healthy and structurally sound plants that are grown to perform in the ground after they leave the nursery for home delivery, always fresh inventory from the grower
Audubon is devoted to protecting birds and the places they need, while Bower & Branch is devoted to the growth of true native trees and plants–no cultivars or hybrids. Together, we strive to unite communities in conservation and inspire individuals to cultivate a better world for birds starting in their own backyards, balconies, or patios. By guiding and recommending trees and plants truly native and beneficial to your region, we can really start to make a difference.
What is the definition of Native?
“In the United States, a native plant is defined as one that was naturally found in a particular area before European colonization. Native plants are the foundation of a region’s biodiversity, providing essential food sources and shelter for birds, especially those threatened by the changing climate. Since native plants are adapted to local precipitation and soil conditions, they generally require less upkeep, therefore helping the environment and saving you time, water, and money.” – The National Audubon Society
Learn how you can help birds in your home and community through Audubon’s Plants for Birds program.
Audubon® is a licensed and registered trademark of the National Audubon Society. All rights reserved.
Growth Facts
Hardiness Zone: 4-9
Mature Height: 2-3' tall
Mature Width: 1-2' wide
Exposure: Full Sun
Spacing: 1-2' apart
How To Plant
Sideoats Grama is a low-water, low-maintenance dream. Plant this easygoing Fringe in full sun, in soil that drains well. The soil type can be sandy or clayey or anything in between—it’s not fussy. Provide regular irrigation the first year; after that, plants should be very drought tolerant. Leave the dried, grassy tufts standing all winter for maximum bird benefit. Cut plants down in early spring. Sideoats Grama is a warm-season grass, which means it is slow to start growing in the spring. Be patient. It will shoot up quickly once the ground warms up.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer, start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant food granular form on an annual basis each late fall. Continue this for the first three years to get your plant well established.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 4-9