Grasses are the backbone of a meadow garden and the mid-sized ones will blend especially well with the many mid-sized perennials that are also essential to a meadow garden. The grasses add texture and movement as well as expanding biodiversity by providing shelter and food for wildlife. They all do well in a wide range of USDA Hardiness zones but some will need more water than others so choose carefully. Photo Credit: Sten, Wikipedia Commons
Blue Gama (Bouteloua gracilis)
Native Range: Southern and western United States
Height: 18″
Width: 12″
Bloom Time: Mid- to late summer
Bloom Color: tan to beige
Fall Leaf Color: Golden sometimes with earthy orange or red highlights.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-10
Photo Credit: SEWilco Wikipedia Commons
Purple Lovegrass (Erogrostis spectabilis)
Native Range: Maine to South Dakota south to Florida, Texas, Arizona and Mexico
Height: 18″
Width: 18″
Bloom Time: Late summer
Bloom Color: soft reddish purple
Fall Leaf Color: Red, purple, bronze
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Photo Credit: David Stang, Wikimedia Commons
Soft Rush (Juncus effusus)
Native Range: Throughout the United States except for South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah
Height: 24″
Width: 24″
Bloom Time: Late summer
Bloom Color: Yellowish green
Fall Leaf Color: Yellow to brown
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-9
Photo Credit: Meggar, Wikimedia Commons
Prairie junegrass (Koeleria macrantha)
Native Range: Most of the contiguous U.S. except for the Southeast and parts of the Northeast
Height: 18″
Width: 12″
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
Bloom Color: Silvery light green turning tan
Fall Leaf Color: Green
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
Special features: Goes dormant in hot summers
Photo Credit: Don Pedro28, Wikimedia Commons
Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
Native Range: Connecticut and Massachusetts west to Wyoming and Colorado and south to Texas
Height: 30″
Width: 24″
Bloom Time: Late summer to fall
Bloom Color: Pink and brown
Fall Leaf Color: Golden bronze, often with orange or copper highlights
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
Photo Credit: Daderot, Wikimedia Commons