Native grass to replace Dwarf Fountain Grass 'Hameln'

Can anyone suggest native to replace Dwarf Fountain Grass 'Hameln'. The site is part shade though and I don't want a "spreader" - I like my plants "well behaved". I am looking for the fountain shape of Hameln but I am not picky about the blooms. I have Miscanthus Ferner Osten and Sunset Coneflower planted as companions. I've looked at Sporobolus heterolepsis but it states full sun. I'm not experienced at all with natives so I don't know if you can push that limit. Thanks for any help you can give.

Boy that Hameln sure is pretty. I looked through my catalogs and didn't find anything but here is a search from Wildflower.org
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/combo.php?fromsearch=true&distribution=IL&habit=habit_grass&duration=&light_partshade=1&light_shade=1
Hope you find something you like!

Angele

How about Muhlenbergia capillaris or one of the many Panicum virgatum cultivars (my favorites)?

Teresa

I will concur with soivos on Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass), however, there is a large variation in native cultivars. I bought 3 to put in a grouping -- all purchased at the same time from the same source. One will make you weep it is so beautiful, and the other two are yawners. The yawners are going to get transplanted this fall and the beauty queen is going to get divided. The beauty queen is nearly blue in leaf and the seed heads surround the foliage like a haze. At four years of age, it gets almost five foot tall, with the last foot of that being seed stalks and heads.

I can same the same for my other native grass, Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass). I bought three of them to group, one is a superstar and the other two are yawners. Same story, purchased from the same source at the same time. It is going to get the same treatment this fall -- the yawners are going to get moved out into my prairie and the superstar is going to get divided. It has very upright blades of vivid green with purple highlights. The flower stalks spike up over 6 feet with a heavy stalk and a beautiful seed head.

Neither has spread outside of its alloted space and I have noticed only a few plants in the area that have started from the seed. Since I am trying to establish about 3 acres of prairie, and these are on the edge, I wish they would seed more than they have!

Thank you all for your suggestions, I will check those out.

Super information Jeff. Really appreciate what you wrote. Thank you!

Jeffinsgf,
Please post the names of your cultivars!
I have Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' and 'Rostrahlbusch' (I know the latter must be mispelled!)
I want to plant some more Panicum and have been thinking about Sorghastrum nutans.
Leaning toward 'Forestburg' and 'Sunburst' because they reportedly have nice large seedheads for deer & quail. . .
So I'm really interested in your Sorghastrum cultivar!
Teresa

Mine are OP natives, no cultivar.

Sporobolus heterolepsis will tolerate partial shade pretty well and one of the most "well behaved" grasses you can grow.

Thanks KSBaptisia - I really love the Sporobolus, it reminds me so much of the dwarf fountain grass and I'm thinking it should be hardier. It would get some morning sun but lots of afternoon sun from about 3:00 to 7:00 or longer depending on the month - it would be in a west facing bed. And, I love well behaved! I think I will buy one and give her a go and if that does well, I can replace the other 4 in that bed and relocate the others.
Thanks for so much for the info.