Native prairie grasses are visible in several photos released by the White House of the Jenna Bush wedding held at Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, TX.
Notice the Little Bluestem in the background, and the Buffalograss growing on the ground the bride is standing upon. Both plants are important native prairie grasses, and Little Bluestem was the dominant plant of the tallgrass prairies of North America.
The tan and copper color of the Little Bluestem is last fall’s growth weathered through the winter and spring. Buffalograss is a terrific and beautiful native grass that makes a great drought tolerant lawn grass that rarely needs mown.
The prairie grasses can be seen in the background of the following photos by Shealah Craighead : 1, 2, 3
CNN also reports that "the decor and the wedding party — known in Texas as the "house party" — were dressed in colors that reflected the hues of the landscape, including native Texas wildflowers: greens, blues, yellows and lavenders, the White House said."
Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT) member Mike Williams planted the native prairie restoration at Prairie Chapel Ranch using seed collected from the NPAT-protected Simpson Prairie.
Tallgrass prairie is the most endangered large ecosystem in North America, with less than 1% of Texas’ original 20 million acres estimated remaining. In addition to beautiful prairie flowers and lush native grasses, our prairies are habitat for grassland birds, the most declining group of birds in North America, butterflies and other pollinators, and other prairie wildlife. We must protect these special places to save Texas’ prairie heritage.
Tallgrass prairies also sequester large amounts of carbon, so tallgrass prairie restorations could be used to help fight global warming. In addition, native grasslands increase water quality and quantity, a vital issue for our growing state. Tallgrass prairie plantings on marginal cropland have been identified as the best source of low-input cellulosic biofuel that would not impact our food supply.