Tall Dry Grass is a two-block decorative plant that generates naturally on sand and terracotta in deserts and every variant of badlands in Minecraft. Instead of a crafting recipe, a wandering trader has a 7% chance to sell one unit for a single emerald. Breaking is instant with any tool, yet Tall Dry Grass drops itself only when cut with shears or a Silk Touch-enchanted tool, otherwise yielding nothing. Lava and fire spread onto Tall Dry Grass easily, so a non-flammable gap protects the plant in wooden desert cabins.

Bone meal applied to short dry grass sprouts Tall Dry Grass on a neighbouring space. Reverse application onto the tall plant spreads short dry grass around the source instead. Tall Dry Grass also works as furnace fuel, smelting half an item over a five-second burn, and composts at a 30% chance per unit. Two stacked blocks of sand, red sand, or terracotta beneath Tall Dry Grass trigger soft ambient wind sounds that make desert outposts feel alive. Dead Bush, Sand, Red Sand, and Terracotta pair naturally with Tall Dry Grass for weathered, sun-bleached landscapes.