Native vs Tame: A Rancher’s Guide to Forage Quality and Resilience
Across Saskatchewan, our native grasslands are more than just pasture, they are the foundation of our ranching economy, a refuge for wildlife, and a critical component of soil health. But not all grasses are the same. Understanding the difference between native and tame grasses can help ranchers make informed decisions that benefit their livestock, wildlife, and the land for generations to come.
But what’s the difference? Native grasses evolved naturally on the prairie over thousands of years. Examples include: Blue grama, Western wheatgrass, Needle-and-thread grass and Western Porcupine grass. These plants are adapted to and built for Saskatchewan’s climate, with deep root systems that help them survive drought, frost, and fire, while supporting long-term forage stability.
Tame grasses, on the other hand, are introduced species selected for agricultural purposes, often high yield or palatability. Common tame grasses include: Smooth brome, Kentucky bluegrass and crested wheatgrass. While tame grasses offer quick growth and predictable production, they interact with the land and ecosystem differently than native species.
Why does native grass matter? One key feature of native grasses is that they have extensive root systems, up to several meters deep. These deep roots improve soil structure, facilitate water infiltration and absorption, reduce erosion and store soil organic carbon. In short, healthy native grasslands act as natural sponges and carbon sinks, helping land recover from drought and extreme weather.
The biodiversity of native prairie vegetation supports a rich variety of wildlife, from grassland birds like Sprague’s Pipit and Sharp-tailed Grouse, to pollinators, small mammals, and insects. These species rely on the diverse structure and community composition in native pastures for food, shelter, and nesting habitat, something tame grasses cannot fully replicate.
Anyone who lives in Saskatchewan understands that our weather is not for the weak, and this applies to grasses, too. Native grasses evolved with Saskatchewan’s cold winters, short growing season, and variable rainfall, which makes these native communities a sustainable grazing resource. This resilience reduces the need for inputs like irrigation or fertilizers and makes pastures more stable in the long term.
While we are definitely partial to our native grasses, tame grasses are far from “bad”; they play a vital role for ranchers when it comes to grazing management. Tame grasses boast high forage production because they are fast-growing and highly digestible. They green up earlier in the season and can be used for spring grazing, they are valuable for hay production to get the livestock through our bitter cold winters and also for their predictable growth cycles. Tame grasses also tend to require less rest after grazing, as their growth cycles are often shorter than those of native plants.
Tame grasses can be utilized in areas where soil stabilization is needed to reduce erosion, bare ground and increase soil health where the land was otherwise unproductive.However, relying exclusively on tame grasses has some trade-offs. Their shallower roots systems reduce drought resilience, and they aren’t able to sustain their nutrition levels into dormancy like some native grasses are able to. Many tame pastures consist of 2 or 3 species, decreasing diversity in vegetation structure and therefore t also the wildlife and insects that rely on the variety of vegetation for food and shelter. Some tame grasses exhibit invasive behavior and can potentially encroach into adjacent native pastures and displace important native species.
Achieving a productive, sustainable grazing system often means using both native and tame pastures intentionally. By protecting the native pastures from tame encroachment and avoiding introducing any non-native plant onto the rangelands, you are taking steps to keeping that biodiversity intact. Appropriate management may include installing cross fencing to separate native and tame pastures, or considering timing of grazing when developing a grazing plan.
You can also use your tame grasses strategically by seeding tame pastures for hay, supplemental grazing, or areas at high risk of erosion. Tame grass pastures can be crucial for ensuring proper rest and rotation of native rangelands. Early spring grazing on tame pastures gives native grasses time to establish before being grazed, which is beneficial to the health of the native pastures.
Whether you are managing tame or native pastures, always leave adequate litter behind. Litter is essential to support soil health, supports nutrient cycling, retains moisture and creates habitat for insects and healthy soil microbes.
Managing both native and tame grasses carefully can be the difference for ensuring your pastures are set up for long term success. At the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation, we support ranchers who steward working grasslands in ways that benefit the land, livestock, and prairie ecosystems. Understanding and protecting native grasses while using tame species strategically ensures Saskatchewan’s ranching landscapes remain productive and ecologically rich for generations to come.
Author: Mindy Hockley-Anderson