LOCAL
T e xas i con
Sideoats Grama: The Official State Grass of Texas by Jill Campbell Jordan
T
exas was among the earliest of the nineteen states that have designated an official state grass. Sideoats grama, (Bouteloua curtipendula), a native grass found on many different soils, was designated as the official state grass in 1971 upon request from the Texas Council of Chapters, Soil Conservation Society of America and the Texas Section, American Society of Range Management. 10
AUTHENTIC TEXAS
The name “side-oats” refers to the small oat-like seeds that hang down uniformly on one side of the grass stem. The grass has a special grace and beauty when it blooms in early to mid-summer with orange and purple flowers. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sideoats grama is one of the most important range grasses because it produces high quality, nutritious food for foraging livestock and
