Missouri Department of Conservation

Warm-Season Grass Management

In the early 1800s, native grasslands covered about one-third of Missouri, or 15 million acres. Prairie grasses and wildflowers covered much of northern and southwestern Missouri, grew under the open pine forests of the Ozarks and edged the swampy land on sandy ridges in the southeast.

Today we have 17 million grass-covered acres--but they're not as diverse. While a native grassland might support more than 200 kinds of grasses and flowers, a grassy field today is often all non-native grass, such as tall fescue. Of our original prairie, only about 75,000 acres remain. Restoring native warm-season grasses and associated wildflowers is important to maintaining Missouri's native wildlife populations.

Questions about Native Warm-Season Grasses

This page was developed to provide information about the "most frequently asked" questions concerning the value, uses and management techniques of native warm-season grasses.

Native Warm-Season Grasses for Wildlife

A wildlife habitat management program should provide woody plants and forbs, including native and domestic legumes. Burning and grazing and/or haying are also necessary.