Eastern Gamagrass: A native grass that deserves attention if you have wet/acidic/clay soils

This is a Native grass type that I am currently nerding out on thanks to a comment/question from someone on another thread.

The lady in the following video mentioned the following notes that were music to my ears and I just had to share!

1) This is a Summer-active Perennial (Most grasses go dormant during this time or slow drastically)
2) Grows very tall with roots that go about 6' down. Aka SUPER drought tolerant once established.
3) Punches through hardpan clay without issue. Reaching nutrients and water other grasses cannot access.
4) Cycles/sheds through old roots every two years or so. Since it has an insanely dense root system... that is good for the soil on many levels
5) Laughs at Low Soil PH
6) Laughs at wet conditions. It literally has a component within it's root system that physically brings air down into the soil
7) It's roots also work with a bacterium that fixes nitrogen like a Legume!!! Which is a major advantage.
8) Very Long Lived. A stand will last 100 years.
9) Somehow it is able to neutralize certain toxic levels of Magnesium or Aluminum in the soil if you have that issue.

She said more but I am starting to brain dump it already. I just need to read up on how to keep it palatable for the animals now. If I can get some of this going in my pastures... It would be a great asset/addition at times.

This is from my favorite reliable source of information:

Also called 'icecream grass' by ranchers because livestock like it so much. High in protein. This relative of corn makes tall, dense thickets when it finds the right conditions to grow, and can be useful as a boundary between one part of your landscape and another.

https://www.seedsource.com/catalog/detail.asp?product_id=2011

I recommend sourcing the seeds from someone who grows the seeds in your part of the country so the seeds are adapted to that area.

I have now watched several more videos on Eastern Gamagrass.

- It turns out that it is actually related to Corn.

- It is extremely sweet when foraged at the right time. Often called "Ice Cream" grass. It has to be managed properly because cattle go bonkers for it and will eat it to the ground and kill it if not taken off on time. So, it is indeed very palatable.

- One dude said that when he first planted it into his wetland area (that has since dried up... due to the grass correcting that issue) that he actually had Cattails growing there it was so wet.

- One person had integrated a LOT of other native grasses and wildflowers into his field as well and it was all playing nicely together.

- One person said that they typically ran their new lactating mother cows through there in order for them to make the best milk for their calves.

- Apparently you need to let any field it is first planted into rest for at least 1 year before grazing since the animals will attack and destroy the baby crowns.

- It is a great wildlife (I am thinking rabbit and qual) habitat due to the large spaces that form between the crowns.

- Greg Judy said his patches are still growing strong that he planted from back over 40 years ago.

- Once it get mature/large/going to seed... apparently it essentially becomes a tree. So you have to keep it in the prime range of rapid growth to where it is just starting to seed.

- It is best planted by tilling and drilling. (sadly)

Anne Miller wrote:This is from my favorite reliable source of information:

Also called 'icecream grass' by ranchers because livestock like it so much. High in protein. This relative of corn makes tall, dense thickets when it finds the right conditions to grow, and can be useful as a boundary between one part of your landscape and another.

https://www.seedsource.com/catalog/detail.asp?product_id=2011

I recommend sourcing the seeds from someone who grows the seeds in your part of the country so the seeds are adapted to that area.

Thank you!

That is funny that we were both typing the "Icecream grass" information at the same time. I hear it while I was just out cutting the field and had to share.

I heard about a year ago that they just recently discovered that plants can fold/unfold their DNA from one generation to the next rapidly in order to adapt to the forever changing world. I bet you are right about trying to recourse someone locally.

Thanks Marty. This might work well with the no till food plots we're trying to establish. Deer, turkey, & quail all seem to love it! We certainly have wet clay acidic soil too. I saw something about a specific butterfly likes it. Have you seen anything mentioning bees?

Mike Barkley wrote:Thanks Marty. This might work well with the no till food plots we're trying to establish. Deer, turkey, & quail all seem to love it! We certainly have wet clay acidic soil too. I saw something about a specific butterfly likes it. Have you seen anything mentioning bees?

I have not heard anything about bees in the massive amount of YT vids I watched today about it. Did hear about the butterfly as well. Also, according to someone using it extensively, those large spaces between the crowns work extremely well for other things like native flowers and clovers to exist.

I do bet that there will be LOTs of butterflies and ladybugs overwintering in them as well. I remember seeing hoards of ladybugs crawl out of crowns of ornamental grass each spring at an old place I lived.

Maybe some small solitary bees would use stems though if they are hollow on last years seed heads? Idk