Mark Newman/Getty Images
Grasslands—known worldwide as prairies, pampas, steppes, and savannas—are defined by their expansive grass cover. Their flora varies largely between temperate and tropical regions, each with distinct ecological characteristics.
In temperate grasslands, wildflowers flourish alongside grasses, thriving in the rapid, bottom‑up growth cycle that outpaces the slower, fire‑prone trees and shrubs. Common species include blazing stars, goldenrods, asters, milkweed, lupines, purple coneflower, clovers, sunflowers, and wild indigo.
Only about 2 % of the United States’ native prairie remains intact, the rest having been converted to farmland or urban landscapes. The fertile soils that once supported diverse ecosystems now yield high‑producing crops. Grains such as corn, wheat, oat, rye, and hay dominate the landscape, with potatoes also widely cultivated.
Tropical grasslands receive 20–50 inches of rainfall annually, lack a cold dormant season, and experience dry, hot periods that induce brief dormancy in many plants. This climate supports taller grasses (3–6 ft, sometimes up to 10 ft for elephant grass) and a modest canopy of fire‑ and drought‑resistant trees.
Key tropical grasses include Bermuda grass, elephant grass, blue fescue, feather grass, Rhodes grass, red oats grass, and lemon grass, which grow rapidly during wet seasons and remain dormant during dry spells.
Trees in these biomes have evolved deep roots, thick bark, and toxic sap to deter grazers and withstand frequent fires. Representative species are the candelabra tree, whistling thorn, jackalberry, umbrella thorn acacia, kangaroo paw, baobab, maketti tree, river bushwillow, and black chokeberry.
