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Texas Yellow Star, Sideoats Grama, American Basketflower, Big Bluestem, 
Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Illinois Bundleflower, Purple Prairie Clover, Eastern 
Gamagrass, Indiangrass, Cutleaf Daisy, Plains Coreopsis, Winecup - 
Annual, Indian Blanket, Lemon Mint, Switchgrass, Sand Lovegrass, 
Showy Milkweed, Black-Eyed Susan, Maximilian Sunflower, Broomsedge 
Bluestem, Clasping Coneflower, Smooth White Penstemon, Swamp 
Milkweed, Hooded Windmill Grass, Sand Dropseed, Cane Bluestem, 
Inland Seaoats, Texas Cupgrass, Purpletop, Prairie Verbena, Rattlesnake 
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Primrose, Mealy Blue Sage, Tall Goldenrod, Spiderwort, White Rosinweed, 
Winecup - Perennial
By 1900, the Blackland Prairie was mostly under 
cultivation, being recognized as one of the foremost 
cotton producing regions of the world. Many grand 
old Victorian homes in the cities and towns still exist 
as reminders of the fortunes made in those times. 
Cultivation was a catastrophic disruption of the prairie 
ecosystem. It was a common farmers’ joke to tell the 
story of a Native American elder who, having seen a 
plowed field for the first time, said to the farmer, “Wrong 
side up.” The story was taken to be an illustration of 
the Native American’s ignorance, but in fact when the 
native grasses are turned under and the soil aerated, the 
organic matter decomposes faster. This creates a flush 
of nutrients available to cultivated crops, but when 
the crops are harvested, nutrients are removed with 
each harvest and the soil continues to be depleted year 
after year. Today’s dependence on chemical fertilizers 
is evidence that perhaps there’s more wisdom in that 
elder’s statement than was recognized at the time.
Thankfully, many are restoring original native plant 
communities. But potential pitfalls do exist in today’s 
restoration seed world. For example, if you ever plant 
Plains Bluestem in a showy Blackland prairie or 
anywhere else, you’d be interested to learn how this 
enticing folksy plant-named alien grass is made up from 
30 different strains of Old World Bluestems a.k.a. yellow 
bluestems. These aggressive bunchgrasses originate from 
Eurasia, China and Africa. The infamous KR Bluestem 
(see p.96) also falls in this group of eco-illogical pitfalls. 
Once you've got 'em, like Bermuda grass, they've 
really gotten to you.  It's really, really hard to get these 
weeds out to ever again make room for natives.
Our local native prairie grasses are structurally quite 
different than alien 'improved' pasture grasses. For 
example, Texas' pasturelands are primarily planted to 
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bermudagrass introduced from Africa. This alien grass 
creates a dense, tangled, matted turf. Native prairie 
grasses, by contrast, are typically bunch forming. This 
characteristic allows for wildlife to construct micro-
trail systems under the grass canopy by traveling 
around the crowns of the root bases. Prairie birds 
such as quail and many small mammals rely on this 
structural type of prairie habitat for their basic patterns 
of reproduction and mobility. The over-story grass 
canopy provides protection from soaring hawks and 
other predators by keeping big portions of the micro-
trails out of view. Nesting also occurs under this canopy 
or directly in the clumped bunchgrasses. Use well-spent 
tax dollars at plants.usda.gov to learn more. Native 
and non-native plant names coupled with integrity 
are essential to restoring the land accurately. Native 
American Seed...helping people restore the earth.
REGIONAL MIX

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