Sideoats Grama
Scientific name: Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr.
Description: Sideoats Grama is a native deep rooted, perennial grass that grows to heights of 1 to 3 feet tall and produces 30 to 50 oat-like seed spirelets that hang down uniformly on one side of the seed stem. Sideoats Grama is a winter-hardy, drought-resistant grass that can be found throughout the United States, but typically east of the Rocky Mountains. It is the most widely adapted species of the all the warm-season perennial grasses. Sideoats Grama is the largest and coarsest of the grama species. It grows on well drained uplands, shallow ridges, and rocky areas, but may be found on both shallow and deep soils. It produces a high quality, nutritious forage that is used for either pasture or hay. It is also used for erosion control, due to the seedling vigor and the ease with which it is established on severely eroded soils. Sideoats Grama should not be grazed below 2 to 3 inches during tne growing season. It is often found in mixtures with Blue Grama, Buffalograss, and Little Bluestem.
