Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Wednesday - October 22, 2014
From: Beeville, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Edible Plants, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Native Grasses as a Hay Crop in Beeville, TX
Answered by: Larry Larson
QUESTION:
I am looking to cut Hay on about 38 acres just west of Beeville, Texas. I want to convert the land to native grasses, but I still want to have a decent hay crop that I can sell. What is a good set of native grasses to establish in that region.ANSWER:
When Mr Smarty Plants went looking for references and information on this topic, he was pleasantly surprised! There is quite a bit of literature out there that supports hay production using native grasses.
Here are some of those references:
AgWeb: Hay Production with Native Grasses
Univ. of Tennessee: Producing Hay from Native Warm-Season Grasses in the Mid-South
Native Prairie Hay Meadows: A Landowner’s Management Guide
Missouri Dept of Conservation: NATIVE WARM-SEASON GRASS PASTURES
Univ. of Nebraska Extension: Switchgrass, Big Bluestem, and Indiangrass for Grazing and Hay
These grasses are both listed in the above publications and in the List of Recommended Species which covers the area around Beeville [Postoak Savannah] :
Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)
Andropogon gerardii (Big bluestem)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)
From the Image Gallery
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Plants to prevent erosion in IL
August 02, 2012 - We just got done building a house and have leveled all of the dirt piles. We do have a row of straw bales to help prevent the dirt from washing onto the neighbors property. It is the wrong time of ye...
view the full question and answer
Shade grasses for central Texas
November 16, 2014 - We are new to the area and bought a home this summer that has lots of shade in the very small backyard. The problem is that there was new sod laid in the backyard which now is 50% dead. We do not kno...
view the full question and answer
Plants for a moist, shady spot in central Texas
July 08, 2016 - I am looking for a plant that will grow in almost full shade with plenty of moisture along a fence. We are looking at putting down some flagstone with possibly some moss growing in between, but we don...
view the full question and answer
Plants for 100 gal. pot by pool from Ft. Worth TX
June 23, 2012 - What North Texas evergreen — or combination of evergreen plants, bushes or trees — could thrive in a huge, 100-gallon clay pot (immovable!) that is situated in full sun year round in an exposed area n...
view the full question and answer
Illinois native grasses for shade
June 27, 2013 - Hello, my grass has died in a very shady area (standard buffalo grass), and I took this as an opportunity to plant some native grass varieties. I originally thought of buffalo grass, but learned that ...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |