Native Grasses of the Canadian Prairies

Prairie Zones and Grass Community Structure

The Canadian prairies encompass three broadly recognised grass communities: the shortgrass prairie of southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan, the mixed-grass prairie across much of Saskatchewan and into Manitoba, and the tall-grass prairie remnants of southeastern Manitoba, which once covered a much larger area before agricultural conversion.

Native grass communities are structured by a combination of climate, soil texture, and disturbance history, particularly fire and grazing by bison. Shortgrass prairie is characterised by species that remain under 50 cm in height at maturity, while mixed-grass prairie contains a mosaic of short, mid, and tall grasses depending on local moisture and soil depth. Tall-grass prairie species can exceed 2 m in height on fertile, deep-soil sites.

The majority of the original prairie area in Canada has been converted to cropland. Estimates from organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund Canada indicate that intact native grassland represents a small fraction of the historical extent, making remnant patches of particular ecological value.

Blue Grama

Bouteloua gracilis (Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths — Family: Poaceae

Blue grama is the characteristic dominant grass of the shortgrass prairie zone and one of the most drought-tolerant native grasses in Canada. Its most distinctive feature is the curved, comb-like seedhead: the spikelets are arranged on a single curved side-branch that resembles an eyelash or eyebrow at maturity, pointing at roughly 45° from the stem. This seedhead persists through winter and remains recognisable under snow.

The grass grows in dense tufts 15–35 cm tall, with fine, curling leaf blades that tend to stay close to the ground. During drought, the leaves curl tightly, reducing transpiration. Blue grama maintains growth later into dry summers than most associated species and provides year-round forage for wildlife. In southern Alberta, it is often codominant with needle-and-thread grass in the shortgrass zone.

Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) showing characteristic curved seed heads — Blue grama (*Bouteloua gracilis*), showing the diagnostic curved seedhead arrangement. Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0, Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata)

Height at maturity: 15–35 cm
Growth form: Warm-season, tufted perennial
Habitat: Shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie, dry plains
Range in Canada: Southern Alberta, southwestern Saskatchewan
Identification feature: Curved, one-sided, comb-like seedhead

Big Bluestem

Andropogon gerardii Vitman — Family: Poaceae

The dominant grass of tall-grass prairie, big bluestem can reach 1.5–2 m or more in height on rich, moist soils. The common name refers to the blueish-green colour of the lower stem. The seedhead is composed of two or three finger-like racemes at the top of a long peduncle, which gives it the colloquial name "turkey foot." This feature makes big bluestem one of the easier tall prairie grasses to identify.

In Canada, big bluestem is most commonly found in the tall-grass prairie remnants of southeastern Manitoba, particularly around Tolstoi and Tall Grass Prairie Preserve areas. It is a warm-season grass, meaning its most rapid growth occurs in the heat of July and August, long after cool-season grasses such as wheat have matured.

Big bluestem has an extensive root system, with roots documented reaching depths of 2–3 m in undisturbed prairie soil. This root network contributes substantially to soil carbon storage, a characteristic of intact grasslands that is lost when land is broken for cultivation.

Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) tall prairie grass clump — Big bluestem (*Andropogon gerardii*), a dominant grass of tall-grass prairie ecosystems. Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0, T.Voekler)

Height at maturity: 1–2 m (occasionally taller)
Growth form: Warm-season, rhizomatous perennial
Habitat: Tall-grass prairie, lowland meadows, deep fertile soils
Range in Canada: Southeastern Manitoba (tall-grass remnants)
Identification feature: Three-fingered "turkey foot" seedhead

Little Bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash — Family: Poaceae

Little bluestem is a mid-grass prairie species most easily recognised in autumn, when its foliage turns copper-red to cinnamon-brown and the fluffy white seed clusters catch the light. In summer, the lower stems have a characteristic blue-green to silvery hue. Plants grow 50–100 cm tall in tufted clumps.

The species is common across the mixed-grass zone of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, often on drier, sandier soils where taller grasses are less competitive. It provides important nesting and overwintering habitat for grassland birds and small mammals. The persistent stems and seed heads remain standing through winter, offering food resources for seed-eating birds well into the cold season.

Height at maturity: 50–100 cm
Growth form: Warm-season, tufted perennial
Habitat: Mixed-grass prairie, dry upland sites, sandy soils
Range in Canada: Saskatchewan, Manitoba
Identification feature: Copper-red fall colour; fluffy white seed tufts

Needle-and-Thread

Hesperostipa comata (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth — Family: Poaceae

Named for the long, twisted awn that trails from each seed like a thread behind a needle, this cool-season grass is one of the most distinctive species of the shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie. The awn can be 10–20 cm long and is hygroscopic — it coils and uncoils with changes in humidity, driving the sharp seed into the soil or animal fur for dispersal. The mechanism can cause injury to grazing animals if seeds become embedded in the skin around the eyes or mouth.

Needle-and-thread peaks in growth in spring and early summer, going partially dormant during the hottest, driest months. It is one of the first grasses to green up in early spring, making it an important early-season forage species. In southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, it is among the most common and widely distributed native grasses on upland sites.

Height at maturity: 40–70 cm (awn adds 10–20 cm)
Growth form: Cool-season, tufted perennial
Habitat: Upland shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie, dry slopes
Range in Canada: Alberta, Saskatchewan, southwestern Manitoba
Identification feature: Long twisted awn on each seed; early spring greening

Prairie Conservation and Habitat Context

Native grassland in Canada faces ongoing pressure from agricultural conversion, urban expansion, and the suppression of natural disturbance regimes such as fire. Periodic burning, which historically maintained the balance between grasses and woody encroachment, has been largely eliminated from most remaining prairie fragments.

Conservation organisations including the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada maintain significant native grassland properties in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Prairie Conservation Forum in Alberta coordinates research and management approaches for that province's grassland ecosystems. The Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve, jointly managed by Manitoba Hydro and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, represents one of the largest protected tall-grass remnants in the province.

Sources and Further Reading

Last updated: June 12, 2026