Find a plant:

OR Browse All Plants


Sorghastrum nutans 'Indian Steel' (Indian grass)

Sorghastrum nutans 'Indian Steel' Photo/Illustration: Bill Cullina


Be the first to rate this plant

Plant Showcase - from our advertisers


Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Botanical Name: Sorghastrum nutans 'Indian Steel' sor-GAS-trum NEW-tanz Common Name: Indian grass Genus: Sorghastrum
Golden yellow plumes and a vase-like form give 'Indian Steel' a refined look. On the flower spikes, bright yellow pollen sacs stand out against the darker seed heads. Metallic blue foliage morphs to a coppery tan shade after frost. 'Indian Steel' tolerates a range of soil types, including heavy clay.
 Care: For best results, plant in medium to dry soil and in full sun.
 Propagation:

By dividion or by seed.


 Problems:

No serious problems.
Height 3 ft. to 6 ft.
Spread 1 ft. to 3 ft.
Growth Habit Clumps
Growth Pace Moderate Grower
Light Full Sun Only
Moisture Dry to Medium
Maintenance Moderate
Characteristics Native; Showy Fall Foliage; Showy Flowers; Showy Foliage
Bloom Time Early Fall; Early Spring; Early Summer; Late Spring; Late Summer; Spring; Summer
Foliage Color Colorful/Burgundy Foliage
Flower Color Yellow Flower
Uses , Beds and Borders, Specimen Plant/ Focal Point
Style , Woodland Garden
Seasonal Interest , Winter Interest, Summer Interest, Fall Interest
Type ,Grasses,Natives

Plants you might also like

Andropogon gerardii 'Pawnee' Andropogon gerardii 'Pawnee'
(Big bluestem, turkeyfoot) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

'Pawnee' has an upright habit and warm fall colors that persist into winter. This refined offbig bluestem has the bluish purple stems typical of the genus. In late summer, Purplish red flowers appear in groups of three or six, which look like a turkey foot—hence the nickname: "Turkey Foot Grass." The root system that can extend down more than 10 feet. Each year, a third of these roots die, opening up channels for water.
Bouteloua gracilis 'Hachita' Bouteloua gracilis 'Hachita'
('Hachita' Blue Grama Grass) (2 user reviews)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

'Hachita' has narrow, blue-green leaves that form dense mounds. In summer, elongated seedheads add visual interest. This tough, drought-tolerant grass thrives in sand or clay soil with full-sun exposure. It needs a setting with good drainage, as it won't thrive in wet conditions
Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Fire' Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Fire'
(‘Prairie Fire’ red switchgrass) (1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

'Prairie Fire' is a distinctly red form of switchgrass. Blue-green spring foliage turns shades of deep red by early summer and butter yellow in late fall. The grass persists into winter. 'Prairie Fire' has a fibrous root system that grows to more than 10 feet deep, making it drought tolerant.
Tripsacum dactyloides

Tripsacum dactyloides


(Eastern gamagrass) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

In early summer, slender stems are topped with flowers that produce a crop of jointed seeds. Clumps get large and die out in the center, so division is necessary. Autumn frosts turn the leaves attractive shades of red-bronze.
Schizachyrium scoparium Schizachyrium scoparium
(Little bluestem, Prairie beard grass) (1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Little bluestem is a tidy, finely textured clumping grass with a blue-green summer color. Its silvery seed heads rise to a height of nearly 2 feet in late summer and are at their best when backlit in the morning or afternoon sun. In fall, the grass turns a rosy rust color that lasts all winter.