Sorghastrum 'Golden Sunset'

Sorghastrum nutans 'Golden Sunset': Autumn Light in Motion

With golden plumes that shimmer in the late-season sun, Sorghastrum 'Golden Sunset' brings height, movement, and warm colour to prairie-style plantings and sunny borders. This refined selection of native Indiangrass offers a strong upright habit, with blue-green blades that transition to golden-yellow in fall. By late summer, it’s topped with airy bronze-gold flower heads that persist into winter, providing visual structure and food for birds. Heat and drought tolerant, it’s a resilient, high-impact grass with a natural elegance.

Plant Characteristics:

• Height: 180 cm (in bloom)
• Spread: 90 cm
• Flower Colour: Golden-bronze plumes
• Flowering Period: Late summer to fall
• Foliage: Blue-green turning golden-yellow in autumn
• Sunlight Requirements: Full sun
• Soil Requirements: Well-drained, average to dry soil; tolerant of clay and sandy soils

Uses and Benefits: 'Golden Sunset' is ideal for meadow-inspired plantings, large borders, and mixed native gardens where late-season texture and vertical interest are needed. Its upright habit resists flopping, even in richer soils, and its golden hues glow beautifully against fall light. Beneficial for wildlife, it offers nesting material, cover, and seed for birds, making it as functional as it is ornamental.

Companion Plants: Combine with the lush violet blooms of Aster 'Grape Crush', the sunny daisy flowers of Heliopsis 'Summer Sun', and the rich vertical spires of Salvia 'Caradonna' for a vibrant, full-sun planting that bursts with colour, contrast, and pollinator appeal from midsummer into fall.

Care Instructions: Plant in full sun with well-drained soil. Water during establishment, then only during prolonged drought. Leave foliage standing through winter for seasonal interest and wildlife habitat, and cut back to the ground in early spring before new growth emerges. Divide every few years if clumps become too dense.

History: Selected from native populations of Sorghastrum nutans, 'Golden Sunset' was bred for its improved colour, upright habit, and ornamental plumes. It brings prairie heritage and bold seasonal character to modern landscapes.

Final Thoughts: Glowing with late-season brilliance, Sorghastrum 'Golden Sunset' is a beacon in the autumn garden—graceful in motion, bold in stature, and deeply rooted in North American prairie beauty.