oggcloverh.gif (165x100 -- 7647 bytes)

Ornamental Grasses for Special Needs
by Elliott's Mom

 


Grasses for Moist, Dry or Shade Conditions, Height and Fall Color

Perennial grasses are a good value - they live for years, sometimes decades, filling out quickly and reaching maturity in one or two years.  If you start them from seed, it will take a year or two longer, and this is an economical way to grow a large variety of ornamental grasses.

A nursery that has a display garden lets you see how plants mature and change through the season.  This is especially important with grasses because they often appear bedraggled in containers, and don't reflect the striking beauty they develop once planted.  Grasses are typically sold in 1, 2 and 5 gallon containers - ranging in price from $10 to $15 for one in a 2 gallon container.  


 

Grasses for dry conditions:  Broom-sedge (Andropogon virginicus), Side-oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis), Atlas Fescue (Festuca mairei), June Grass (Koeleria macrantha), Blue Hair Grass (Koeleria glauca), Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum), Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans), and Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis).

Grasses for Dry Conditions
Indian_Grass.jpg (125x104 -- 4208 bytes)
Indian Grass
little_bluestem_fallcolor.jpg (120x120 -- 4268 bytes)
Little Bluestem

Prairie-Dropseed-sporobolus-heterolepsis.jpg (125x96 -- 4051 bytes)
Prairie Dropseed

Grasses for moist conditions:  Sweet flag (Acorus calamus), Japanese Sweet Flag (Acorus gramineus), Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora), Rushes (Juncus, all species), Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea), 'Woods Dwarf' dwarf ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea 'Woods Dwarf'), Feesey's Form Ribbon Grass (Phalaris anundinacea 'Feesey's Form'), and Variegated Prairie Cord Grass (Spartina pectinata 'Aureomarginata').

Grasses for Moist Conditions
Japanese-Bloodgrass-Imperata-cylindrica.jpg (120x132 -- 5762 bytes)
Japanese Blood grass
featherreedgrass.jpg (120x149 -- 5077 bytes)
Feather Reed Grass
Carex-Ice-Dance-Sedge.jpg (125x93 -- 4073 bytes)
Ice Dance Sedge
Moor-grass-Molinia-caerulea.jpg (120x149 -- 5424 bytes)
Moor Grass
rushes.jpg (120x132 -- 4388 bytes)
Rushes

 

Grasses for Fall Color
Miscanthus-purpurascens-Flame-Grass.jpg (120x170 -- 4963 bytes)
Flame Grass
spartina-pectinata.jpg (120x170 -- 4591 bytes)
Variegated
Prairie Cordgrass

Grasses for Fall Color: Broom-sedge (Andropogon virginicus, orange), Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron,' wine-red), Flame Grass (Miscanthus 'Purpurascens,' orange-red), Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum, golden-yellow), Red Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum 'Hanse Herms,' burgundy), Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans, yellow-orange), Variegated Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata 'Aureomarginata,' yellow), and Japanese Themeda (Themeda japonica, red-orange).  More pictures of these are above.

Grasses for Screening/Privacy
Cortaderia-whitepampasgrass.jpg (125x125 -- 4188 bytes)
Pampas Grass
silverfeathermaidengrass.jpg (125x125 -- 6276 bytes)
Silver Feather
Maiden Grass

Grasses for Screening/Privacy: Karl Foerster's Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'), Compact Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila'), Ravenna Grass (Saccharum ravannae), 'Cabaret' Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis condensatus 'Cabaret'), 'Morning Light' Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'), and Silver Feather Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder').  More pictures of these are above.

Grasses for Light Shade
Foxtail-Setaria-spp..jpg (123x140 -- 5171 bytes)
Golden Meadow
Foxtail
hystrixbottlebrushgrass.jpg (123x140 -- 5190 bytes)
Bottle-brush Grass

Grasses for Light Shade: Golden Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis 'Variegatus'),
Sedges (most Carex species), Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia caespitosa), Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa macra), Bottle-brush Grass (Hystrix patula), Variegated Moor Grass (Molina caerulea 'Variegata'), Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea), and Autumn Moor Grass (Sesleria autumnalis).  More pictures of these are above.

Best annual ornamental grasses to grow Annual Fountain Grass (pennisetum setaceum), Great Quaking or Pearl Grass (briza maxima), Feathertop Grass (pennisetum, villosum) and Rabbit's Tail Grass (lagurus ovatus).

Home ] Up ] [ Grasses for Special needs ] Grass - Quick Chart ]

 

Copyright Our Garden Gang 1999-2008 All Rights Reserved