Ornamental Grasses for Every Situation
Choose the ornamental grass based on the season, the height and the type of soil.

Dream of the size, texture and color of the ornamental grass you want and there's a variety to suit. But even better, you can choose according to the season, the height, and the type of soil — and amount of sun — you can offer. Here are some top hits in each category:
Warm-season grasses
Cool-season grasses
- Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora), 4-6 feet
- Sedge (Carex), 3 inches to 4 feet
- Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia caespitosa), 1-4 feet
- Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens), 1-5 feet
- Squirreltail grass (Hordeum jubatum), 1 to 2-1/2 feet
Sun
- Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana), 6-10 feet
- Dwarf pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila'), 3-5 feet
- Ravenna grass (Erianthus ravennae), 3-12 feet
- Maire's fescue (Festuca mairei), 2-3 feet
- Hare's-tail grass (Lagurus ovatus), 1-2 feet
- Porcupine grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus'), 4-6 feet
- Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), 2-5 feet
Shade
- Sedge (Carex), 3 inches to 4 feet
- Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia caespitosa), 1-4 feet
- Variegated hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'), 6-18 inches
- Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron'), 1 to 1-1/2 feet
- Variegated silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus'), 4-6 feet
- Frost grass (Spodiopogon sibiricus), 2-4 feet
- Giant feather grass (Stipa gigantea), 1-1/2 to 7 feet
Wet Soil
- Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora), 4-6 feet
- Sedge (Carex sp.), 1-4 feet
- Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale), 1-4 feet
- Manna grass (Glyceria maxima), 2-3 feet
- Miscanthus, 2-7 feet
- Banded bulrush (Scirpus tabernaemontani var. zebrenus), 2-4 feet
Moist Soil
- Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light', 4-5 feet
- Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurescens, 3-4 feet
- Needlegrass (Stipa calamagrostis), 2-3 feet
Dry Soil
- Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia caespitosa), 1-4 feet
- Switch-grass (Panicum virgatum), 4-10 feet
- Indian grass (Sorghastrum avenaceum), 2-5 feet
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