Imagine sipping sweet tea on your porch while admiring a beautiful landscape. Incorporating native grasses for South Carolina, like sweetgrass and Indiangrass, can enhance this experience by adding resilience and visual appeal to your yard.
Native ornamental grasses are adapted to South Carolina’s soil and climate, while also supporting local ecosystems, making them an excellent choice for adding color and texture. So, let’s take a look at them so you can choose the best ones for your landscape.
Sweetgrass
Sweetgrass (Muhlenbergia filipes) is a coastal treasure of South Carolina (especially in the Lowcountry area), cherished for its beauty and rich cultural history. Named for the sweet fragrance of its leaves, this plant has deep roots in the traditions of the Gullah community, who skillfully weave its blades into beautiful baskets.
This craft is so valued that Mount Pleasant, just outside Charleston, hosts an annual Sweetgrass Festival to celebrate and preserve this tradition.
You can buy sweetgrass seeds or potted plants in your local nursery, but it’s not that easy to find. Plant sweetgrass in early spring, preferably in sandy soil.
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Indiangrass
Indiangrass, or Sorghastrum nutans, is a top choice for anyone looking to create a low-maintenance landscape that also supports local wildlife. As South Carolina’s official state grass, Indiangrass provides a haven for bees and birds, and it’s even suitable for grazing.
Moreover, Indiangrass is drought and salt-tolerant, which makes it particularly well-suited for coastal homes, where it can thrive with minimal care.
Popular cultivars like ‘Sioux Blue’ and ‘Indian Steel’ offer stunning variations that add texture and color to your garden.
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Switchgrass
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a versatile and attractive native grass that blooms with pretty reddish-purple flower panicles from late summer to fall.
But this grass isn’t just about looks — it also helps with soil stabilization and preventing erosion, which is a big plus if you’re dealing with sloped or easily eroded areas. You can read more about this in our guide: “How to Control Erosion in Your Yard.”
This grass adapts well to different soil types, though it really thrives in full sun and moist conditions. It is also a fast grower, so you won’t have to wait long to see it fill in your space.
If you’re looking for varieties that do well across the state, ‘Blackwell,’ ‘Kanlow,’ ‘Carthage,’ and ‘Alamo’ are all excellent choices, but you’ll have other options depending on where you live.
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Big bluestem
Big bluestem, also known as Andropogon gerardii, is a striking native grass that can add serious height and visual appeal to your landscape. This grass can grow up to 8 feet tall, forming narrow clumps of blue-green leaves that turn a beautiful orange-rust color in the fall.
One of the best things about big bluestem is how easy it is to care for (like most native plants). It’s incredibly low-maintenance, resistant to most pests and diseases, and thrives in different types of soils.
To give this grass the best start, it’s recommended to plant it in the spring, ideally before May 15 in South Carolina, to ensure it establishes well before the summer heat kicks in.
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Broomsedge
Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus) is a native grass that truly shines in the fall and winter months. During this time, its copper-colored foliage, accented with silver hairs, adds a unique and eye-catching element to the landscape.
Like the other native grasses we’ve presented so far, broomsedge is low-maintenance and drought-resistant. It’s also beneficial for wildlife, offering both habitat and food, and it resists most pests and diseases.
This ornamental grass is often used as a filler in prairies, wildflower plantings, or wildlife habitats, where it contributes to a thriving and diverse ecosystem in South Carolina. However, this plant is considered invasive in California and Hawaii.
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Pink muhly grass
Pink muhly grass, or Muhlenbergia capillaris, is a showstopper in any landscape, thanks to its stunning pink plumes that resemble clouds when they bloom in fall.
This grass is as tough as it is beautiful, thriving in well-drained soils, but tolerating a variety of conditions, including sandy, rocky, dry, or medium-moisture soils. It’s a versatile option, perfect for edging and borders, but it also makes a striking centerpiece that can be the focal point of your landscape.
In South Carolina, pink muhly grass can also be used in rain gardens. (Read our article, “How to Build a Rain Garden,” if you’re interested in creating your own.) Recommended cultivars include: ‘Pink Flamingos,’ ‘White Cloud,’ and ‘Regal Mist.’
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Splitbeard bluestem
Splitbeard bluestem (Andropogon ternarius) is another fantastic ornamental grass that can bring year-round interest to your landscape. In spring, its foliage starts off as a lovely silvery blue-green. As the seasons progress, the foliage transforms into warm copper and bronze tones in late summer and fall, while fluffy silver seed heads add texture.
These seeds aren’t just for show — they’re also a food source for birds and mammals, making this grass a great choice for supporting local wildlife. Read more about this topic in our guide: “Benefits of Attracting Birds to Your Yard.”
However, it’s important to be cautious when planting splitbeard bluestem near your home, as it has an extreme flammability rating.
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Inland sea oats
Inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), also known as northern sea oats, Indian wood oats, or even “fish on a line,” is a charming native ornamental grass that brings a unique look to your landscape. It’s commonly found in northwestern South Carolina and on the coast, where its bright green foliage lights up the summer before turning a warm copper in the fall and winter.
One of the most distinctive features of this grass is its drooping flat seeds, which flutter with the wind and resemble little fishes on a line — hence the nickname.
Inland sea oats can be used near streams and water gardens or as an eye-catching accent plant. Its seed heads also make it a great choice for dried flower arrangements.
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Little bluestem
Little bluestem, or Schizachyrium scoparium, is a standout native grass for pretty much the entire country. For most of the year, its blue-green stems provide nesting sites for several birds. But come fall, the leaves turn into a rich reddish-brown hue, adding color to your yard.
Moreover, this grass has deep roots, which makes it an excellent choice for erosion control, helping to stabilize the soil in areas prone to runoff. We also have an article with other plants to control erosion in your yard.
And best of all, this is an easy-care plant that fits right into South Carolina landscapes, requiring minimal maintenance while delivering maximum impact.
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Other South Carolina resources
If you want your South Carolina landscape to look its absolute best, ornamental grasses are a great start, but they’re not the whole story. A beautiful yard also needs a lush lawn and a variety of native plants. Check out this additional article for tips and advice:
When to call a pro
If you’d rather kick back with some hush puppies and enjoy your beautiful South Carolina landscape without getting your hands dirty, there’s no shame in that. Instead of planting ornamental grasses and other native plants yourself, call a local gardening professional who can help you create the perfect outdoor space.
Main Image Credit: Matt Lavin | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 2.0
