Native Plants in a Grassland Biome

• Grasslands consist of two types: savanna and temperate.Paul E Tessier/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Grassland biomes fall into one of two categories: savanna or temperate grassland. Savanna grasslands consist of native grasses, shrubs and a few trees; this type of grassland covers almost half of the surface of Africa. Temperate grasslands, also referred to as prairie or plains, feature native plants that must adapt to hot summers and cold winters where they receive little rainfall. Temperate grasslands exist in central North America, South Africa and several other countries. Thanks to the harsh conditions in both biomes, native plants in both types of grasslands rely on special adaptations to survive and thrive.
  
  

Elephant Grass

• A native plant of savanna grasslands, elephant grass grows in dense clumps that reach up to 10 feet in height. The hairy, coarse blades have sharp edges that help keep predators from eating the plant. Elephant grass also features purple to brown seed heads that grow up to nine inches in length. The grass reproduces via rhizomes that sprout new plants. Elephant grass thrives in rich soil such as that found near lakebeds and rivers. Birds use the clumps of grass for nesting sites since the almost-impenetrable clumps give nesting birds plenty of protection from predators. Farmers cut the grass to use as feed for their animals.
  
  

Gum Arabic

• Also known as the Senegal gum acacia, gum Arabic is a tree that produces a sap used to make gum Arabic, a substance used in inks, pottery pigments, liquid gum and wax polishes. The savanna tree grows up to 50 feet in height with scaly gray to brownish-black bark. From January to March, cream-colored flowers appear, followed by green seedpods that turn brown as they ripen. The seedpods grow up to eight inches in length. The trees thrive in low-lying savannas where little rainfall and no frost occurs. The sap seeps out from cracks in the bark of trees at least four years old. The sap runs during the dry season, with almost no sap flowing during the rainy season when the tree's flowers are in bloom.
  
  

Blue Grama Grass

• A grass of temperate grasslands, blue grama grass primarily grows in the Great Plains of North America. Blue grama grass is the official Colorado state grass. One of the most common grasses of the short grass prairie, blue grama thrives in sandy soils where it is drought and cold hardy. The grass grows by seeds or rhizomes. Blue grama grass stays dormant during the cold season, reappearing when temperatures start to warm up in the spring. The grass can take up to 50 years to re-establish itself after a disturbance or if it's plowed into the ground. Blue grama works well for erosion control since it's shallow root mass holds down the soil.