Ornamental Grasses for Every Situation
Choose the ornamental grass based on the season, the height and the type of soil.
Flowing Ornamental Grasses
No other plant can add movement and catch light like ornamental grasses. They can soften, yet enhance masonry elements with their airy form and uniquely capture and filter the sun's rays. Tip: Be sure to place them where they can catch the light, which will shine through their foliage and flower heads, making them glow and shimmer in the breezes.
From:
Barry Block
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
Next Up
Hibiscus, Rose Mallow
(Hibiscus moscheutos)
Landscaping Grasses
How to make the most of your yard with ornamental landscaping grasses that multi-task and look fabulous.
Hakone Grass
Tips on this ornamental grass, also known as variegated Japanese reed grass.
Feather Reed Grass
Tips on growing one of the best ornamental grasses.
Blue Fescue
This small-scale ornamental grass produces big-time results in the garden.
Our Favorite Ornamental Grasses
Add some of these go-with-the-flow grasses to your garden for extra interest throughout the growing season.
Types of Ornamental Grasses
Ten great grasses that will bring your garden to cheers.
An Extra-Easy Zoysia
Selected cultivars, including 'Zorro', are superior to the species.
Invasive Ornamental Grasses
Learn how to control these attractive, but potentially invasive, "bad guys" of the ornamental grass world.
Backlighting Plants
Use this design techinque to enhance your early-morning and late-afternoon garden.
