Growing Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses include a striking array of textures, forms, sizes and colors. Their multi-season interest is virtually unsurpassed in the world of plants. Grasses are softly sophisticated, subtle and varied. They announce spring's arrival, rustle in the summer breeze, hale the autumn, and brave the winter storms. Your landscape will be dramatically enhanced by adding ornamental grasses.

Ornamental Grasses for Sun

Atlas Fescue (Festuca mairei): 2-3 ft. Clumping, evergreen grass. Very large for a fescue.

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii): 4 ft. Upright clump. Prairie native.

Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'): 5-6 ft. Stiffly upright. Beige fall color. Makes a great exclamation point in the garden.

Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia caespitosa): 3 ft. Airy sprays of flowers.

Sand Love Grass (Eragrostis trichodes): 3 ft. Clumping grass with airy flowers. Needs well-drained soil, but easy to grow from seed.

Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca): 10 inches. Mounded, blue-green leaves. Nice in groups or as a groundcover.

Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens): 2-3 ft. Dome-shaped clump with blue-green leaves.

Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica var. koenigii): 2 ft. Red-tipped leaves. Vigorous spreader.

Miscanthus 'Little Zebra': 4-5 ft. Horizontally striped leaves. Relatively compact. Silvery plumes of flowers.

Miscanthus 'Morning Light': 6 ft. Variegated, narrow leaves. Upright growth.

Miscanthus 'Sarabande': 6 ft. Graceful, narrow leaves. Beautiful plumes of flowers. Nice for a tall hedge.

Miscanthus 'Variegatus': 7 ft. Vertically striped leaves. Large and somewhat floppy. Give it plenty of space.

Dwarf Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea 'Variegata'): 2 ft. Striped leaves.

Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella or Stipa tenuissima): 2 ft. Fine texture. Easy to grow from seed. Not long lived, but very useful in the garden.

Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum): 4-5 ft. Medium-tall grass with a haze of pink-tinged flowers in the fall.

Dwarf Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'): 2 ft. Mounding growth. Very popular.

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium): 3 ft. Fine leaves. Easy from seed.

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans; Sorghastrum avenaceum): 7 ft. Tall grass for the back of a border. Nut brown seed heads in the fall. Easy from seed.

Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis): 2 ft. Delicate, airy plumes.

Ornamental Grasses for Shade

Golden Sedge (Carex elata 'Aurea', 'Bowles Golden'): 2 ft. Golden leaves.

Brown Sedge (Carex flagellifera 'Toffee Twist'): 2 ft. Unusual, brown leaves.

Variegated Japanese Sedge (Carex morrowii 'Aureovariegata'): 1 ft. Striped leaves.

Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium): 3-4 ft. Copper fall color.

Golden Variegated Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'): 2 ft. Weeping habit. Recommended for pots or for spilling over rocks.

Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon plansicapsus): 6 inches. Black leaves.

Siberian Graybeard (Spodiopogon sibericus): 4 ft. Red fall color.

Care and Maintenance

1. Growing ornamental grasses is easy! They are low maintenance and generally pest- and disease-free.

2. They do not need to be fertilized, and doing so can be detrimental.

3. Water according to needs. Group water-loving plants separately from drought tolerant plants.

4. Mulch with 3" of bark, leaves or compost to retain moisture and limit weed growth.

5. Cut grasses back in early spring before new growth appears. Cut each plant to 3" above the crown.

6. Grasses should be divided in spring or fall. Fall is also a great time to plant them.

Some of the pictures were taken at Gayle Allen's nursery, The Rock Garden, in Ogden, Utah. Gayle specializes in ornamental grasses, supplying nurseries and landscapers.

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