Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses are becoming increasingly popular in gardens—and it's not tough to see why. Not only do these plants provide excellent texture, but they also perform well in tough conditions. With all the grasses available, here's information about 20 of the most common:

Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

• Full sun. Very drought-tolerant. Withstands a range of soil types, as long as they're well drained.
• Best suited in Zones 2 to 7.
• Blue-green leaves that turn shades of yellow or bronze in autumn.
• Plants grow to 7 feet tall.
• Native to areas of North America.

Blue fescue (Festuca glauca)

• Full sun and well-drained soil.
• Best suited in Zones 4 to 7.
• coloration differs by cultivar). Buff-colored seedheads.
• Plants grow to 12 inches tall.
• Native to areas of North America.

Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens)

• Full sun and well-drained soil. Tolerates drought and various soil types (as long as they're well drained).
• Best suited in Zones 4 to 9.
• Forms a mound of gray-blue. Plumes are golden-brown in color.
• Plants grow to 5 feet tall.
• Not native to areas of North America.

Bulbous oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius subsp. bulbosum)

• Full sun or partial shade and moist, but well-drained soil.
• Best suited in Zones 5 to 8.
• Narrow gray-green leaves. Variegated types with white markings on the leaves are more common in the trade. Silvery-white plumes.
• Plants grow to 1 foot tall.
• Not native to areas of North America.

Canadian wild ryegrass (Elymus canadensis)

• Full sun and well-drained soil. Tolerates moist soils better than most other grasses.
• Best suited in Zones 3 to 8.
• Plants have green to blue-green leaves and green plumes that fade to reddish-brown.
• Plants can grow to 6 feet tall.
• Native to areas of North America.

Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora)

• Full sun or partial shade. It tolerates a range of soil types, but prefers moist, well-drained soil.
• Best suited in Zones 5 to 9.
• Green leaves that turn buff-colored in autumn. Feathery plumes appear in summer that fade to a buff color.
• Plants can grow up to 6 feet tall.
• Not native to North America.

Fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides)

• Full sun and well-drained soil.
• Best suited in Zones 6 to 9.
• The plants have green leaves that often have a graceful, arching form. The plumes may be yellowish to purple.
• Plants can grow to 5 feet tall.
• Not native to areas of North America.

Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra')

• Full sun or partial shade and moist, but well-drained soil.
• Best suited in Zones 4 to 9.
• Leaves start green but quickly turn deep red, starting from the tip. Plumes are silvery white in color.
• Plants grow to 2 feet tall.
• Not native to North America; May be considered invasive in some areas.

Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra)

• Moist, well-drained soil in partial shade.
• Best suited in Zones 5 to 9.
• Gracefully arching leaves that become flushed with red in autumn. Variegated cultivars with yellow-marked leaves are more common in trade than the green-leafed species.
• Plants grow to 16 inches tall.
• Not native to areas of North America.

Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

• Full sun and well-drained soil. Withstands drought, but doesn't tolerate wet soils.
• Best suited in Zones 5 to 9.
• Upright gray-green leaves that turn orange-red or purplish-red in autumn. Plumes are buff colored.
• Plants can grow to 3 feet tall.
• Native to areas of North America.

Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis)

• Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil. Like many grasses, it tolerates a range of soil conditions, as long as the soil is well-drained.
• Best suited in Zones 4 to 9.
• Arching blue-green leaves that may be variegated, depending on the type. The plumes appear in late summer and often have silky appearance.
• Plants can grow to 12 feet tall.
• Not native to areas of North America.

Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

• Full sun and well-drained soil. The grass is quite drought tolerant.
• Best suited in Zones 6 to 9.
• Green leaves and stunning pinkish or purple airy-looking plumes in summer.
• Plants grow to 3 feet tall.
• Native to areas of North America.

Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana)

• Full sun in well-drained soil. Tolerates drought well.
• Best suited in Zones 7 to 10.
• Sharp green leaves and large, showy silvery or pinkish-colored plumes.
• Plants grow to 10 feet tall.
• Not native to areas of North America; considered invasive in some areas. There may be planting restrictions in some areas.

Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis)

• Full sun and well-drained soil. Tolerates drought and a range of soil types (as long as they're well-drained).
• Best suited in Zones 3 to 9.
• Green leaves that turn golden in autumn. Fragrant plumes are pale pink in color.
• Plants grow to 2 feet tall.
• Native to areas of America.

Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum)

• Full sun and well-drained soil.
• Best suited in Zones 9 to 10 (or treated as an annual in cooler Zones).
• Purplish leaves that often have a graceful, arching form. The plumes may be pinkish to purple.
• Plants grow to 3 feet tall.
• Not native to areas of North America.

Purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea)

• Full sun or partial shade and moist, but well-drained soil.
• Best suited in Zones 5 to 9.
• Green leaves that may be flushed with purple. The plumes are purplish in color and often appear on arching stems.
• Plants can grow to 5 feet tall.
• Not native to areas of North America.

Ravenna grass (Saccharum ravennae)

• Full sun with moist, but well-drained soil.
• Best suited in Zones 6 to 9.
• Coarse green leaves that take on purple tones in autumn. Plumes are large and silvery-purple in color.
• Plants grow to 15 feet tall.
• Not native to areas of North America.

Ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinaceae)

• Full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. Avoid soils that stay consistently wet. In rich soils may be especially invasive.
• Best suited in Zones 4 to 9.
• The plants have green leaves bearing white or yellow stripes. The plumes are a buff color.
• Plants can grow to 5 feet tall.
• Native to areas of North America.

Switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

• Full sun and well-drained soil. Tolerates a range of soil conditions well.
• Best suited in Zones 5 to 9.
• Green leaves that may be touched with tones of blue, purple, or silver, and turn to golden-brown in autumn. Plumes are airy and often purplish in color.
• Plants grow to 4 feet tall.
• Native to areas of North America.

Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa)

• Full sun. Plants tolerate a wide rage of soil conditions, from moist to dry.
• Best suited in Zones 5 to 9.
• Green leaves and airy pink- or buff-colored plumes.
• Plants grow to 6 feet tall.
• Not native to areas of North America.