Top native grasses
55 species, native to the US, ranked by caterpillars, then bees and other hosts, food, flowers and shelter.
-
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
keystone
caterpillars
16
food
18
flowers
17
-
Bitter Panicgrass
Panicum amarum
keystone
caterpillars
16
food
14
-
Texas Bluegrass
Poa arachnifera
keystone
caterpillars
16
food
7
flowers
1
-
Wiry Witch Grass
Panicum flexile
keystone
caterpillars
15
food
14
-
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
caterpillars
14
food
8
flowers
2
-
Saint Augustine Grass
Stenotaphrum secundatum
caterpillars
13
food
3
flowers
13
shelter
1
-
Virginia Wildrye
Elymus virginicus
keystone
caterpillars
11
food
7
flowers
1
-
Canada Wild Rye
Elymus canadensis
keystone
caterpillars
10
food
7
flowers
1
-
Florida Paspalum
Paspalum floridanum
caterpillars
8
food
10
flowers
1
-
Fringed Brome
Bromus ciliatus
caterpillars
8
food
9
flowers
6
-
Brownseed Paspalum
Paspalum plicatulum
caterpillars
8
food
9
flowers
1
-
Bottlebrush Grass
Elymus hystrix
keystone
caterpillars
8
food
5
-
Blue Wild Rye
Elymus glaucus
keystone
caterpillars
8
food
4
-
Pacific Bentgrass
Agrostis exarata
caterpillars
8
food
3
-
Reed Canary Grass
Phalaris arundinacea
caterpillars
7
food
16
flowers
34
-
Broad-glumed Brome
Bromus latiglumis
caterpillars
6
food
8
flowers
1
-
Common Reed
Phragmites australis
caterpillars
5
food
17
flowers
5
-
Canadian Bluejoint
Calamagrostis canadensis
caterpillars
5
food
10
-
Switch Cane
Arundinaria tecta
caterpillars
5
food
6
flowers
1
-
Coastal Sandbur
Cenchrus spinifex
caterpillars
5
-
Variable Witchgrass
Dichanthelium commutatum
caterpillars
4
hosts
2
food
8
flowers
1
-
Northern Witchgrass
Dichanthelium boreale
caterpillars
4
hosts
2
food
8
-
Alkali Sacaton
Sporobolus airoides
caterpillars
4
food
9
flowers
1
-
River Wild Rye
Elymus riparius
keystone
caterpillars
4
food
4
-
River Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium
caterpillars
4
food
1
flowers
6
-
Deergrass
Muhlenbergia rigens
caterpillars
3
food
5
flowers
7
-
Rough Barnyard Grass
Echinochloa muricata
caterpillars
3
food
5
-
Bull Grass
Muhlenbergia emersleyi
caterpillars
3
food
5
-
California Oatgrass
Danthonia californica
caterpillars
3
food
3
-
Eastern Gamagrass
Tripsacum dactyloides
caterpillars
3
food
1
flowers
3
-
Knotroot Bristlegrass
Setaria parviflora
caterpillars
2
food
28
flowers
2
-
Southwestern Bristlegrass
Setaria scheelei
caterpillars
2
food
24
flowers
1
-
Nimblewill
Muhlenbergia schreberi
caterpillars
2
food
11
-
Hairawn Muhly
Muhlenbergia capillaris
caterpillars
2
food
6
flowers
1
-
Gulf Muhly
Muhlenbergia sericea
caterpillars
2
food
6
-
Indiangrass
Sorghastrum nutans
caterpillars
2
food
5
flowers
10
-
Seep Muhly
Muhlenbergia reverchonii
caterpillars
2
food
5
-
Mexican Muhly
Muhlenbergia mexicana
caterpillars
2
food
5
-
Cutover Muhly
Muhlenbergia expansa
caterpillars
2
food
2
-
Lyme Grass
Leymus arenarius
caterpillars
2
food
1
-
Slender Indiangrass
Sorghastrum elliottii
caterpillars
2
-
Purple Lovegrass
Eragrostis spectabilis
caterpillars
1
food
5
-
Narrow-leaved Carpetgrass
Axonopus fissifolius
caterpillars
1
food
1
-
Green Needlegrass
Nassella viridula
food
2
-
Twoflower Melicgrass
Melica mutica
food
1
-
Threeflower Melicgrass
Melica nitens
food
1
-
Smith's Melicgrass
Melica smithii
food
1
-
Creeping Wild Rye
Leymus triticoides
flowers
1
-
White Tridens
Tridens albescens
-
Hooded Windmill Grass
Chloris cucullata