Indian Ricegrass

Indian Rice grass is a short-growing, densely tufted, perennial Native bunchgrass, named because of its use as a grain by Native Americans. The seeds were ground for flour, mixed with water, and cooked into a mush by the Montana Indians, Navajo, Hopi, Apache, Paiute, and others.

Its graceful and lacy seed heads appear in early summer and are valued both in the landscape as well as in dried bouquets. This beautiful grass often dominates sandy slopes with its sage-green, wiry foliage, which turns tan when dormant, and its ivory-colored seed heads. Indian Rice grass thrives in sandy or rocky, well-drained soils. This grass can be mowed to 8 inches in early fall, and it is best to trim down old clumps to the ground during the winter to allow self-sown seedlings room to develop. Its forage is highly palatable to wildlife and livestock, and seeds are gathered by birds and small mammals.

Indian Rice grass is very drought tolerant and useful for rangeland improvement and land reclamation projects. Paloma is a Southern type suitable for milder areas and was the first variety named and released as an improved type. It produces excellent palatable, tall forage and is often used in lowland range seedings as part of a reclamation mix.

Growing Height: 8 to 18"

Min Yearly Rainfall: 9"

Seeds Per Pound: 141,000

Acre Rate: 12 lbs

Lbs per 1000sq feet: 2 lbs

Growing Regions: Northwest, Great Plains