Prairie Cordgrass

Description:

Prairie cordgrass is a warm-season, native, sod-forming grass. Culms reach heights of 3.5 to 10 feet (1-3 m) and are firm or wiry. Spikes are mostly 10 to 20 per plant and are 1.5 to 3 inches (4-8 cm) long. The root system has coarse, woody, highly branched rhizomes. The roots grow from the rhizomes and the base of the clumps and penetrate almost vertically downward to depths of 8 to 13 feet.

Habitat:

Prairie cordgrass grows on wet banks of sluggish streams and around ponds. On its hydric side it is bordered by tall rushes (Scirpus spp.), sedges (Carex spp.), and reed grasses (Phragmites spp.). On the dry side, there is usually a band of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) between prairie cordgrass and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), which dominates the next dryer zone.