Horticulture Principles and Practices

TABLE 17–7
Selected Ornamental Grasses
Plant Scientific Name Zone Remarks
Shade loving
Variegated Hakone grass Hakonechloa macra (Aureola) 6–9 Slow spreading; 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 centimeters) high
Snowy woodrush Luzula nivea 4–9 One of the best woodrushes; 9 to 12 inches (22 to
30 centimeters) high
Bottlebrush grass Hystrix patula 5–9 Cool season; 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) high
Tufted hairgrass Deschampsia caespitosa 4–9 Blooms early in spring; 2 feet (60 centimeters) high
Dry, sunny sites
Ravenna grass Erianthus ravennae 5–10 Warm season; perennial; 5 feet (1.5 meter) high
Indian grass Sorghastrum nutans 4–9 Showy fall colors; 3 feet (90 centimeters) high
Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium 3–10 Good ground cover, erosion control; 1 foot
(30 centimeters) high
Side oats gramma Bouteloua curtipendula 4–9 Good meadow plant; 2 feet (60 centimeters) high
Prairie dropseed Sporobulus heterolepis 3–9 Drought resistant; 1 foot (30 centimeters) high
Moisture loving
Bulbous oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius 4–9 Clump forming; 1 foot (30 centimeters) high
Prairie cord grass Spartina pectinata 4–9 Deciduous; 2 to 5 feet (60 to 150 centimeters) high
Giant reed Arundo donax 7–10 Warm season; 6 to 20 feet (1.8 to 6 meters) high
Quacking grass Briza media 4–10 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) high; easy to grow
Showy grasses
White-striped ribbon grass Phalaris arundinacea 4–9 Invasive; 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 centimeters) high
Fountain grass Pennisetum alopecuroides 5–9 Adaptable; 3 feet (90 centimeters) high
Pampas grass Cortaderia sello ana 8–10 One of the showiest; sharp leaves; 5 to 12 feet (1.5 to
3.6 meters) high
that are easy to start from seed include velvet grass (Holcus lanatus), northern seas oats
(Chasmanthium latifolium), Indian grass (Sorghasrum nutans), blue fescue (Festuca cinera),
and fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides). Some species may have to be
started in a nursery indoors and transplanted into the landscape later.
Grasses may be planted alone or in combination with other bedding plants or
ground covers. For shady areas, sedges adapted to shade may be combined with shadeloving
ground covers such as hosta and lily of the valley. In sunny areas, poppy, peony,
and chrysanthemum may be mingled with ornamental grasses. Grasses can be grown in
combination with bulbs (e.g., tulip, crocus, or daffodil). Grasses may also be planted in
containers. Small- and medium-sized grasses may be planted in decorative pots and other
containers. Like all potted plants, moisture management is the key to success.
17.6.3 CARE
When grasses are planted in the garden, watering is critical, especially in the first year
of establishment, when it should be done fairly frequently. After establishment, watering
is required less frequently. Similarly, only minimal fertilization is required. Organic fertilizer
may be used as needed, and regular mulching is recommended. To keep the form
and shape, grasses may be trimmed, clipped, or pruned periodically. Such measures may
be taken at any time during the year to remove unwanted growth, but in late winter or
early spring, grasses may be cut more severely. Cool-season grasses may be pruned to
about two-thirds of their height; warm-season grasses may be cut even closer to the
ground to leave about 4 inches (10.2 centimeters) of growth.
Grasses usually can remain at the same spot and in good health for a long time.
Stoloniferous and rhizomatous species are able to spread, but clump-forming species often
exhibit signs of aging, losing quality. When this occurs, the clumps should be dug up and
divided into smaller clumps. Overfertilization predisposes plants to disease. Generally,
17.6 Ornamental Grasses 523