// SPECIES PROFILE · GRASS · NATIVE

Plains bluegrass

Poa arida

Plains bluegrass (Poa arida) is a grass in the — family. Native range includes KS, OK. Hardy in zones 2a–10a. Mature size 1"–32". Blooms May–Aug.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: —
Group: grass
Native range: Native to 17 U.S. states, including CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI…
USDA hardiness: Zones 2a–10a
Mature size: 1"–32"
Sun: —
Water: —
Bloom: May–Aug
Wildlife value: Pollinator and wildlife support
Ecological role: native species profile

Plains bluegrass (Poa arida) — *Poa arida* — Plains bluegrass. Photo by Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 260. Courtesy of Kentucky Native Plant Society. Scanned by Omnitek Inc. via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Plains bluegrass (Poa arida) is a grass in the — family. Native range includes KS, OK. Hardy in zones 2a–10a. Mature size 1"–32". Blooms May–Aug.

Why it's on this list: native species profile. Native-range data from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (NPIN), cross-checked against iNaturalist observations. Part of Rooted Revival's regional native plant catalog — true natives for Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In the same native range, plains bluegrass pairs naturally with: Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis), Fox Sedge (Carex vulpinoidea), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).