Side-oats grama is a warm season, moderately rhizomatous, perennial usually eight to 24 inches in height.

• Side-oats gets its name from the side oat-like florets that appear to hang on the seed stalk on one side.
• Leaves are flat and basal (positioned or arising from the base) that sometimes curl and appears to look white.
• Long hairs from pimple like structures are found scattered along the edges of the leaves.
• A sod forming grass, common on weakly developed soils of steep slopes or alluvium along streams with fine textures soils.

It is not very drought tolerant, but is a food source for upland birds.

Photo Credit: Terry Wright, USFWS

For a complete Refuge species list

For in-depth plant information
connect with the U.S. Dept Agriculture Plant Data Base

Last Updated: 9/5/08

Plants that grow naturally on this short grass prairie are called "native" plants. The Refuge has four major groups.

• Grasses
• Wildflowers
• Shrubs
• Trees

Vegetation on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal is a mixture of different grasses, shrubs. semi-shrubs, forbes and wildflowers.

Several species of prairie grass grow on the Refuge but the most common are the perennial BLUE GRAMA and WESTERN WHEAT GRASS.

Learn more about prairie grasses at
FRONT RANGE LIVING.