'Nezpar' Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides)

Plants selected for their valuable conservation properties may also be unexpectedly ornamental. This is true of 'Nezpar' Indian ricegrass, a 1978 release from the Aberdeen, Idaho Plant Materials Center and the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station. The plant's beauty lies in its distinctive seedheads and thin, graceful stems. Underneath 'Nezpar's elegant exterior, however, is a tough, drought tolerant grass excellent for seeding rangeland, stabilizing critical areas, revegetating surface mining land, and providing winter forage for wildlife and livestock. 'Nezpar' has been used on 71,000 acres and has yielded an ecological benefit of $1.5 million.

Collected south of White Bird, Idaho, 'Nezpar' was named in honor of the Nez Perce Indians-Indian ricegrass seeds were once a food staple of many western tribes. The variety is a cool season perennial bunchgrass whose seed germinates well (usually a problem with Indian ricegrass). 'Nezpar' performs best on coarse, sandy soils in the West (Idaho, Utah, Nevada); it prefers dry southerly exposures, but at least 9 inches of annual precipitation.