Add Interest to Your Lawn With Ornamental Grasses
Related To:
Ornamental Grasses
Desert Plains Fountain Grass
Mexican Feather Grass
Toffee Twist Sedge
Golden Japanese Forest Grass
Blue Oat Grass
Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) adds spiky drama to planting areas with its porcupine-like clumps of steely-blue foliage. The best blue tones develop in plants growing in dry soils in full sun. Flower plumes appear in early summer, opening in blue-brown shades and shifting to wheat color by fall. Blue oat grass is hardy in Zones 4 to 8 and resists drought, deer and black walnut trees. Trim plants in early spring before new growth appears. Use blue oat grass in rock gardens or paired with blue spruce or blue-tinted junipers.
Prairie Dropseed
Morning Light Miscanthus
Prairie Sky Switchgrass
The Blues Little Bluestem
Pampas Grass
Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) is an architectural grass with a strong upright form. Plants reach 8 to 12 feet tall in a single growing season. Feathery flower plumes appear in fall and linger through winter. Grow in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil. Plants are drought tolerant once established. Pampas grass is hardy in Zones 7 to 10. Trim clumps to the ground in late winter. Leaves have razor-sharp edges, so always wear long sleeves and gloves when working near or with this grass. Plants self-sow freely and are invasive in some western states, such as California and Hawaii. Check with your local extension office to determine if it’s a recommended plant for your area.
Purple Fountain Grass
Deep wine-colored leaves make purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) a stand-out in any planting. It blends beautifully with pink, white or lavender leaves and flowers. Buff-colored, bottlebrush seed heads appear in late summer and linger through winter. Leaves and seedheads turn a lovely straw color after frost arrives. Purple fountain grass is widely used as an annual and looks fantastic in containers or planting beds. This perennial is deer resistant and hardy in Zones 9 to 11. Give plants full sun and well-drained soil for best results.
Giant Reed Grass
Giant reed grass (Arundo donax) creates a bamboo-like presence in the landscape with its towering stems and long, flowing leaves. The name hints at the fact that woodwind instrument reeds are made from stems from this grass. This versatile grass can grow in well-drained soil or standing water, in sand or clay. It’s an ideal plant for a rain garden. Flowers appear in late summer to early fall in warmer climates. In colder regions, the growing season may not be warm or long enough to allow flowering. Plants soar 10 to 20 feet tall and are hardy in Zones 6 to 10. In warmer Zones 9 to 11, plants can spread aggressively by underground stems and self-seeding. Choose planting sites carefully, and cut down seed plumes before seeds are released. Tall foliage can require staking in windy areas.
Japanese Blood Grass
Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’) earns its name from the vivid red tints that emerge along the upper half of leaves in summer, giving them a blood-dipped appearance. The red deepens as summer slides into fall, until leaves show a deep burgundy hue. Plants develop the best leaf color in full sun, although they will grow in part shade. Japanese blood grass is shorter, growing 12 to 18 inches tall. Use it as an edging plant or in containers. Plants typically go dormant in winter and rarely flower. This ornamental grass is hardy in Zones 5 to 9. Cut plants to the ground in early spring. The species of this grass is highly invasive. If leaves shift to entirely green, dig, remove and destroy (burn) every piece of the plant, including the underground stems. Do not add that plant to your compost pile.
