Description: Delicate, oat-like seed heads on arching stems.
Growth Habit: Upright, clump-forming perennial. 2ft height
Sun/Shade: Full sun.
Water Needs: Low; drought-tolerant.
Soil Preferences: Well-drained, sandy or loamy soil.
Benefits: Attracts birds and adds texture to meadows. Great for prairie restorations.
 
From Prairie Moon Nursery: 
Bouteloua curtipendula, or Side-oats Grama, is a rarity among native grasses in the way that it sports its tiny attractive flowers during the summer bloom time (see detailed photos.) Bracts hang uniformly from one side of the stem while brilliant red-purple anthers dangle below and delicate white stigmas protrude above. When the seed heads dry, they have a distinctly oat-like appearance.

Side-oats is a warm-season grass that grows actively during the summer months when soil temperatures are warm. Its current range is throughout North America and south to Argentina, and it is cited as a food source or larval host for at least five types of skipper butterflies. Bouteloua curtipendula’s rhizomatous clumping tendency and moderate height make it a good companion for spring-blooming wildflowers like Shooting Stars or Prairie Smoke.