Grass Varieties For North Dakota (continued)
R-794 (Revised), May 2001
Warm-Season Grasses
These grasses are most productive in the summer during
periods of higher daytime temperatures and longer periods of daylight.
Bluestem
Big
(15KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
--------------------------------
Sunnyview^ SD 1992
Bison* ND 1989
Bonilla^* SD 1987
^Adapted for southeastern and southcentral North Dakota.
*North Dakota release
Big bluestem is a component of the tall grass prairie
and on good moisture sites westward. It is a tall, perennial, sod-forming
grass. Forage is highly palatable and nutritious before it matures. It provides
excellent summer pasture and hayland on good moisture sites. Stands will thin
if pastures are closely grazed.
Little (12KB
b&w illustration)
Ecotype Origin Date Released
---------------------------------
Badlands* ND,SD 1996
Itasca* ND,SD,MN 2001
*North Dakota release
Little bluestem is a drought tolerant, perennial bunchgrass
of the mixed-grass prairie. Little bluestem is often found on dry hillsides
in natural settings. Palatability decreases rapidly after heading. It is often
included as a minor component of rangeland seed mixtures and is well adapted
to limey soils of both wet and dry sites. This species also performs well
on the coarse, shallow soils of droughty uplands.
Sand
Varieties Origin Date Released
--------------------------------
Goldstrike NE 1973
Garden NE 1957
Sand bluestem is a tall, perennial, sod-forming grass
adapted to sandy areas. It is similar to big bluestem in appearance. Primary
use is on deep sandy range sites and for revegetation of blowout areas. Garden
is more persistent than Goldstrike.
Buffalograss
Ecotype/Varieties Origin Date Released
----------------------------------------
Bismarck ecotype* ND 1996
(vegetatively
propagated)
Tatanka NE 1996
*North Dakota release
Buffalograss is a short, stoloniferous, dense, sod-forming
perennial grass. Buffalograss is dioecious, having separate male and female
plants. It is palatable and nutritious as a forage, but it is primarily used
as a low maintenance turfgrass for lawns, airstrips and road shoulders. Varieties
of southern origin (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas) lack winter hardiness in North
Dakota. Bismarck ecotype consisting of male plants is vegetatively propagated,
while the variety Tatanka is generally propagated by seed.
Cordgrass
Prairie
Germplasm Origin Date Released
----------------------------------
Red River* ND,SD,MN 1998
*North Dakota release
Prairie cordgrass is a tall perennial grass with strongly
spreading, tough, scaly rhizomes. This species occupies wet soils and may
grow in pure stands bordering sloughs, ditches and wet prairies. It may be
grazed by cattle in late spring; however, prairie cordgrass is seldom utilized
after the boot stage. The primary use for prairie cordgrass is wildlife cover,
soil stability, streambank stabilization, and buffer strips.
Grama
Blue
(9KB b&w illustration)
Ecotype Origin Date Released
--------------------------------
Bad River* SD 1996
*North Dakota release
Blue grama is a short, drought tolerant, tufted perennial
grass of the mixed-grass prairie and short-grass plains. It is widely distributed
on medium to fine textured soils throughout the state. Primary use is in rangeland
seed mixtures, low maintenance turf areas and roadsides. A planting depth
of 0.25 to 0.5 inches is critical for successful establishment. Bad River
establishes easier than common seed and most other varieties of blue grama.
Sideoats
(12KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
---------------------------------
Killdeer* ND 1968
Pierre* SD 1965
Butte NE 1958
*North Dakota release
Sideoats grama is a drought-tolerant perennial grass
found primarily on poorly developed shallow soils, steep slopes, and ridgetops
as well as overflow sites. Primary use is in grass mixtures for rangeland
seeding. Its excellent seedling vigor allows rapid establishment. Sideoats
grama is a highly palatable forage species.
Indiangrass
Indiangrass
(7KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
---------------------------------
Tomahawk* ND,SD 1988
Holt^ NE 1960
^Adapted for south eastern and south central North Dakota.
*North Dakota release
Indiangrass is a tall, perennial, sod-forming grass
with short rhizomes found primarily in the tall-grass prairie of southeastern
North Dakota and to a limited extent on overflow and subirrigated sites in
the mixed-grass prairie. Primary use is in wildlife habitat and a component
of native range and pasture mixtures.
Sandreed
Prairie
(14KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
--------------------------------
Goshen WY 976
Prairie sandreed is a drought-tolerant, strongly rhizomatous,
sod-forming grass. The leaves are light green with a leathery texture; stems
are coarse. Its primary use is in rangeland seeding mixtures on sandy soils
where it is well adapted. Prairie sandreed is excellent for stabilization
of sandy soils. Early growth is nutritious, but forage value is poor after
plants head out due to high fiber and lignin content.
Switchgrass
Switchgrass
(15KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
-----------------------------------
Dacotah* ND 1989
Forestburg^* SD 1987
Sunburst^ SD 1983
^Adapted for southeastern and southcentral North Dakota.
*North Dakota release
Switchgrass is a tall, rhizomatous, perennial grass
often growing in large clumps. It is found primarily in the tall-grass prairie
of southeastern North Dakota and on good moisture sites westward. It is used
in wildlife habitat plantings in eastern North Dakota and for summer pasture
on good moisture sites. Forestburg and Sunburst, of South Dakota origin, are
similar in maturity, appearance, and productivity. Dacotah is a short upland
type of North Dakota origin and is earlier maturing than Forestburg.
Plant Species Guide for Soil and
Environmental Conditions
Saline or Alkaline Tolerant Grasses
Wheatgrass
Blue bunch-Quackgrass hybrid (NewHy variety)
Slender
Thickspike
Tall
Western
Wildrye
Altai
Beardless
Canada
Russian
Drought Tolerant Bunchgrasses
Bluebunch-Quackgrass hybrid (NewHy variety)
Grama
Blue
Sideoats
Green needlegrass
Hard fescue
Little bluestem
Wheatgrass
Bluebunch
Bluebunch-Quackgrass hybrid (NewHy variety)
Crested
Siberian
Slender
Wildrye
Altai
Russian
Drought Tolerant Sod-Forming Grasses
Buffalograss
Mammoth wildrye
Prairie sandreed
Wheatgrass
Intermediate (moderately tolerant)
Pubescent (moderately tolerant)
Thickspike/Streambank
Western
Sand Stabilizing Grasses
Prairie sandreed
Sand bluestem
Wheatgrass
Thickspike/Streambank
Western (moderately adapted)
Wildrye
Canada
Mammoth
Flood Tolerant Grasses
Buffalograss
Creeping foxtail
Prairie cordgrass
Reed canarygrass
Smooth bromegrass (moderately tolerant)
Switchgrass (moderately tolerant)
Wheatgrass
Intermediate (moderately tolerant)
Slender
Tall
Western
Wildrye
Canada (moderately tolerant)
Seeding Rate Guide
Most grass species in North Dakota are seeded at a rate
of 25 to 30 seeds per square foot. The lower rates are generally recommended
in the western part of the state or on drier sites. The higher rates are generally
recommended in the eastern part of the state on sites with more favorable moisture
conditions. Adjustments are made for some species based on seed size, seedling
vigor, and seed conditioning. These rates are for drill planting with a row
spacing of 12 inches or less, the recommended row spacings for most grass planting
purposes. Seeding rates are shown in pure live seed (PLS) pounds per acre.
------------------------------------------
Species/Variety lb/ac PLS
------------------------------------------
Introduced Grasses
Bromegrass
Meadow 13.5-16.5
Smooth 6.5-8.0
Fescue
Hard 3.0-4.0
Foxtail
Creeping 3.5
Wheatgrass
Bluebunch/Quackgrass Hybrid 10.0-14.0
Crested 6.0-7.0
Intermediate
Intermediate 8.5-10.0
Pubescent 8.5-10.0
Siberian 6.0-7.5
Tall 11.0-13.5
Wildrye
Altai 16.0-19.0
Dahurian 8.5-10.0
Mammoth 20.0-24.0
Russian 6.0-7.5
------------------------------------------
Native Cool-Season Grasses
Canarygrass
Reed 3.5
Needlegrass
Green 6.0-7.5
Wheatgrass
Bluebunch 8.0-9.5
Slender 5.0-5.5
Streambank 7.0-8.5
Thickspike 7.0-8.5
Western 8.0-10.0
Wildrye
Basin 8.0
Beardless 7.5-8.5
Canada 6.5-7.5
------------------------------------------
Native Warm-Season Grasses
Bluestem
Big 6.0-7.5
Little 4.0-4.5
Sand 9.5-12.0
Buffalograss (bur) 23.0-26.0
Cordgrass
Prairie 7.0
Grama
Blue 2.0-2.5
Sideoats 6.0-7.5
Indiangrass 5.5-7.0
Sandreed
Prairie 4.0-5.0
Switchgrass 3.5-4.5
------------------------------------------
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R-794 (Revised), May 2001
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