• Pennsylvania grass still feeds a large portion of grazing cattle to this daygrass image by Thomas Quinlan from Fotolia.com
  
  Pennsylvania is still home to large rolling hills of cattle land that features a variety of native grasses. A couple of these varieties once extended into the American prairie and was a favored meal of the bison before modernization and westward expansion decreased the population. These grasses have also found homes in ornamental gardens due the variety of attraction colors from purple to blue-green that shift through the summer and into the winter.
  
  

Eastern Bottlebrush Grass

• Eastern Bottlebrush grows wild in Pennsylvania's forests and is especially fond of clearings and edges of dense tree growth. The grass is highlighted by spikes of pale green about 1.5 inches long that shoot out from either side of the stems which become a light tan as the grass ages. As a perennial, Eastern Bottlebrush grows 2.5 to 5 feet high and is a popular grass for land reclamation projects and for ornamental home gardens.
  
  

Big Bluestem

• Big Bluestem first flowers in the summer beginning in August and continuing until November. This Pennsylvania grass grows favorably in damp earth and is a popular feed for domesticated cattle in local farms across the state. Big Bluestem receives its name from the blue-green hues that are the hallmark of spikes that can grow up to eight feet tall in clay, loamy soil or sand. These blue-green spikes turn purple in the fall months where the grass has known to become top heavy from overgrowth and fall over.
  
  

Indian Grass

• Indian Grass once covered much of the American prairie. Leaves of blue-gray with copper-colored spikes identify the breed which may grow up to eight feet tall. Indian Grass blooms exclusively in the summer months and is found in Pennsylvania's open-wooded areas. The plant makes an aesthetically pleasing ornamental grass for decorative gardeners thanks to Indian Grass's tendency to clump when planted together. Indian Grass is hearty and can withstand seasonal flooding or drought.