‘Indian Warrior’ forms a tall, strictly upright clump of green foliage that begins to take on dusky purple tones as early as midsummer. 

In late summer, glossy deep purple, three-branched inflorescences that vaguely resemble a turkey’s foot (hence the common name) are produced on reddish stems.  When they first open, tiny bright red-orange pollen sacs dangle from the flowers and are quite visible even from a distance. 

As the cooler weather arrives, the foliage transitions from green to a deep smoky purple with red highlights, becoming enrobed in a shroud of purple by mid-fall. 

 

Dubbed the “monarch of the prairie”, this native grass was once the dominant component of the American tallgrass prairie.  It adapts easily to a wide range of soil and moisture conditions as long as full sun is provided.  This long-lived grass has a variety of uses including screening, naturalizing, restoring prairies, and nesting materials for birds and mammals.