In my experience there are few grasses that can hold up to the drought-deluge cycle of a plains summer, but Indian grass is one of them. A native to tall-grass prairies, it's often found alongside big bluestem and switchgrass, residing on slopes and in dry soils in full sun, carpeting the landscape with late-summer seed heads and autumn swaths of orange, red and gold. Of all the tall grasses, this is the one I'd most recommend. Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens Botanical name: Sorghastrum nutans
Common name: Indian grass
USDA zones: 4 to 9 (find your zone)
Water requirement: Drought tolerant once established
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: Crowds out weeds; offers winter cover and seeds for birds; hosts some skipper butterflies
Seasonal interest: The grass stays low until late summer, when tall seed spikes erupt into the sunlight. Fall color is excellent; winter interest is superb.
When to plant: Early spring to late fall; mulch well in late fall to prevent frost heave. Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens Distinguishing traits. The seed heads are the most obvious attribute of Indian grass. They stand strong all winter, hardly bothered by wind or snow. The low mound of foliage, however, provides a nice skirt to prairie flowers that rise through it, shading the ground and keeping in moisture. Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens How to use it. Low autumn sunlight often casts a warm glow through the Indian grass and liatris (foreground).

If you can't have a water feature in the garden, grass is the next best thing — as the wind blows through Indian grass, it makes the most soothing sound from midsummer to the late winter cut-down. Consider using Indian grass as a semiformal privacy hedge or scattered among taller flowers like liatris, sunflowers, blue sage or goldenrod for a more natural prairie look on dry soils. Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens If you look closely at the wind-pollinated seed heads, you'll see the delicate workings of grasses in full glory. Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens Gardens can be just as alive and dynamic in winter, which is one reason to not cut them down in fall. Here, snow creates a shadow of the grass' summer form, delighting us from inside a warm house and echoing the garden's summer glory. Birds often take shelter under the thick foliage as well during cold afternoons. Missouri Botanical Garden Planting notes. Indian grass is fairly adaptable. Plant it in spring, summer or fall in a dry clay or rocky soil; even a well-drained loam will work. Once established it can take drought fairly well, needing only an occasional supplemental watering. (This photo shows the 'Sioux Blue' cultivar, whose foliage is a grayish blue.)