How well do you know your grasses?
This guide contains key information on the many diverse grasses of Kansas, whether they come from the tallgrass prairie, the sandsage prairie, or just the average roadside ditch. For each plant, you will learn characteristics, distribution, life cycle, ecology, uses, hazards, and similar species.
Whether your interest is as a nature buff, an ornamental gardener, or a dedicated grazier, we hope you’ll find the information you need to identify and properly manage the grasses on your property.
Need help with botanical terminology? Visit our grass glossary.
Foxtail Barley (Hordeum jubatum)
Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis)
Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Silver Bluestem (Bothriochloa saccharoides)
Buffalo Grass (Buchloe dactyloides)
Sand Dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus)
Green Foxtail (Setaria viridis)
Eastern Gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides)
Side-oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
Johnson Grass (Sorghum halepense)
Broad-Leaf Wood-Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata)
Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis)
Virginia Wild Rye (Elymus virginicus)
Sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus)
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Homestead on the Range 