I am a newbie in Central Arkansas (just south of Little Rock) and am anxiously awaiting my first fruit trees (I ordered varieties of apples, pears, peaches, plums and cherries that are supposed to be more suitable or tolerant of weather in the South). They are supposed to be arriving within the next two weeks and I have 28 trees ordered. We bought our property a few years ago and have now removed the vegetation from the site (briars, young trees, etc. was a clear cut area about 10 years ago) and the area tilled up ready for planting. My question is, what is good to plant along with fruit trees? I don't know if I need native grasses or some type of cover crop or what. I've been looking online but may not be using the appropriate search terms because so far I have not found much information that tells what to plant in the orchard under the fruit trees. The orchard will be within viewing of the house so it will most likely be mowed as part of the lawn. I was planning on planting a native grass for the lawn like buffalo grass or something along those lines that is low maintenance but am unsure what to plant under the fruit trees. The site is a sunny area away from large trees and buildings and I plan on planting them 20 ft. apart with the rows 25 feet apart (semi-dwarf varieties). Any help is appreciated, thanks!