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Looking for a Native or Non-Invasive decorative grass with a shiny golden color

 
Posts: 10
Location: Cincinnati, OH, Zone 6b. Whitefish, MT, Zone 5a
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I'm in Southwestern Ohio and I just installed a gravel patio with decorative landscaping for my parents, on the east side of the house, and the spot I am looking to plant this grass gets sun all day being off the north east corner, and is the foreground for any sunset views from the patio. I'm looking for a golden straw colored grass (or "dirty blonde") that moves freely with the wind and shines in the sunlight. Most "golden" decorative grasses I have seen such as golden sedge are more yellowed with little sheen, a more solid colored appearance. Most of the grasses I have seen with the desired texture have a very straight, sturdy upright growth. Attached is an image of a wheat field, and I am aware of the editing involved but I have seen wheat fields exactly like this in person in South Dakota, and was speechless at the coloration of these fields with the sunset as I have never seen texture like this. I have considered just planting wheat but I would prefer a perennial. I have thought about inland sea oats but they have maybe a bit more of an upright growth pattern than I would prefer, and they stay green for quite a while, but their seed heads hold this desired color and texture. Maybe a cultivar that has a larger seed head would allow more color to show during the summer and be more weight bearing on the stems?

For any other consideration, we have also in this area purple cone flower, swamp milk weed, woodland stone crop, creeping phlox, bluets, wild geraniums, English lavender, little blue stem, lemon thyme, and Pennsylvania sedge

Posting in Permies because I figure your ideas will come from a really good place, as this landscape is meant to be quite interactive with the local ecology and that is a consideration for all of the plant selections here. Thank you in advance.

 
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Have you tried Indian grass?  Has a nice golden/rust color in fall and winter. Yellow flowers in summer.
 
steward
Posts: 17545
Location: USDA Zone 8a
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Indiangrass is one I was going to recommend also:



Grows in all regions of Texas and Canada to Mexico. Indiangrass is a larval food source for butterflies. Turkeys use for food and cover.



Once was a dominant prairie grass, Indiangrass reaches 3 to 4 feet high. It forms its dramatic seedheads from September to November. The beautiful golden plume-like seed heads are 4 to 12 inches long on 2 foot stems making this grass part of the tallgrass family.



Indiangrass at Native American Seed



It mixes nicely with all other warm-season native grasses. Its seedlings are vigorous and produce ground cover rapidly. It is a larval food source for butterflies, and the grain from seed is an important food for wildlife.



Virginia Wildrye



 
Reid Bennett
Posts: 10
Location: Cincinnati, OH, Zone 6b. Whitefish, MT, Zone 5a
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Thanks folks! Indian Grass is maybe a little upright for what I was imagining but it is native, golden, and very decorative during the summer months as well. Definitely up for the running.
 
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