Prairie Sandreed, Prairie Sand Reed, Prairie Sand Reedgrass, Sand Reedgrass, Big Sand Grass

This warm season perennial grass is found from Michigan to Alberta, south to Indiana, Colorado and Idaho.

Prairie sandreed...Read More is one of the most important forage grasses in the sandhills prairies, and is particularly good winter forage and provides an important source of winter feed for foraging animials.

The natural habitat is normally one with moderate precipitation, cold winters, and hot summers, and is most abundant in sand and sandy soils in upland range sites.

Prairie sandreed is wind pollinated, and develops seed in late summer or early fall. Fire promotes seed production, and wind is the primary seed dispersal method. The seeds require stratification for successful germination.

The grass also spreads with rhizomes and will form colonies 3 to 26 feed in diameter.