Indian Ricegrass

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Other Names:
Indian Ricegrass, Sand Ricegrass, Sandgrass, Montina
Latin Name:
Oryzopsis hymenoides, Achnatherum hymenoides
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Indian Ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides) is a graceful, airy native bunchgrass of the dry West — a beautiful ornamental and a nutritious, gluten-free native grain.2, 4

Edible & Medicinal Uses

The seed of Indian Ricegrass is a prized native grain — pleasantly nutty, high in protein and fiber, and naturally gluten-free. It can be eaten cooked like oatmeal, roasted, or ground into a flour for breads or to thicken soups. It was so valued as a staple that, since 2000, it's been grown and milled commercially into a gluten-free flour sold as "Montina."1, 4

Ornamental Qualities

Indian Ricegrass is a favorite for its delicate, airy beauty — fine, wavy, much-branched flower stalks studded with tiny seeds float like a cloud above neat tufts of thread-fine foliage. It's lovely in the dryland garden and a classic in fresh and dried flower arrangements.1

Environment & Culture

Ecology: Native to the arid intermountain West, Indian Ricegrass is a cool-season bunchgrass of sandy and gravelly ground, extremely winter-hardy and drought-adapted. It stabilizes dry soils and its seed is important forage for birds and small mammals.1, 2

Culture: Indian Ricegrass has been a staple grain for thousands of years — gathered, winnowed, roasted, and ground into flour by many peoples, among them the Zuni, Hopi, Havasupai, and Apache, and especially vital when other crops failed. We offer it with respect for that living knowledge and invite support for Indigenous-led restoration through our Charitable Giving page.4

In the Kitchen

Cook the cleaned seed into a nutty hot cereal, roast it for a toasty flavor, or grind it into a gluten-free flour for flatbreads and soup-thickening. (Growing and harvest details are on the Planting Guide tab.)

Attributes

  • Native Range: Arid intermountain West; sandy, gravelly ground1
  • USDA Zones: ~4–9 (very cold-hardy)3
  • Light: Full sun1
  • Water: Low; very drought-tolerant1
  • Soil: Sandy, gravelly, well-drained1
  • Habit: Cool-season bunchgrass; airy branched seed heads2
  • Edible: Nutty gluten-free grain (cooked, roasted, or flour)4

References

  1. Native Foods Nursery field notes; USDA NRCS, Achnatherum hymenoides.
  2. Pojar, J. & MacKinnon, A., Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 2014.
  3. USDA PLANTS Database, Achnatherum (Eriocoma) hymenoides.
  4. Moerman, D., Native American Ethnobotany, 1998; "Montina" grain.

Pot Sizing Guide

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Planting Guide: Indian Ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides)

Tip: Give it full sun and sharp, sandy drainage and keep it dry — this is a desert grass that rots in rich, wet ground, so lean and gravelly is exactly right.

Choosing a Site

Light: Full sun.

Soil: Sandy or gravelly, sharply drained; lean.

Space: 12–18 in apart.

Planting Steps

Sow seed or plant plugs in fall.

Firm and water in lightly.

Avoid rich, wet beds.

Watering & Care

Establishment: Minimal water; do not overwater.

After establishment: Very drought-tolerant; thrives on neglect.

Maintenance: Cut back old growth in late winter; may be short-lived but self-sows.

Propagation: Seed (can be slow/dormant).

Protection

Wildlife: Seed for birds and small mammals; dryland cover.

Note: Needs dry, sharp drainage — not for wet ground.

Deer: Generally tolerant.

Harvest Basics

Season: Seed ripens and shatters in summer — catch it early.

Use: Cook as cereal, roast, or grind into gluten-free flour.