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.

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.

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.