Ornamental grasses add character and elegance to landscape projects. Ornamental grasses range in size from several inches tall all the way up to several feet tall. When selecting ornamental grasses for your landscape project, find out the mature height of the plant. Something purchased from your local garden center may only be a few feet tall when it is purchased. The plant may be taller than you are when it is fully mature. Always keep in mind the mature size of the plant. Another consideration when planting ornamental grass should be how the plant reproduces. Ornamental grasses can either be clump forming or rhizome forming. Rhizome forming ornamental grasses spread out rapidly. Clump forming ornamental grasses tend to maintain a uniform size. Karl forester is a great example of an ornamental grass that maintains a uniform size. This plant usually grows up to three feet tall and maintains a base of about a foot and a half.
Ornamental grasses can also be annual or perennial. Some annual grasses such as purple fountain grass, provide quite a bit of summer interest. Since purple fountain grass is an annual, it will need to be replanted at the beginning of each growing season. Annual vs perennial is a personal preference. If you are looking for longevity, you should consider a perennial grass such as the Karl forester. Elijah bluegrass is a great choice if you are looking for a short growing plant. Colors for ornamental grasses range from blue, green, variegated to golden. Most ornamental grasses will produce seed stocks at the top of the grass plant.
Some ornamental grasses for your consideration.
- Bluestem
- Blue Fescue
- Blue Lymegrass
- Feather Reed Grass
- Plume Grass
- Perennial Fountain Grass
- Annual Fountain Grass
- Japanese Silver Grass
- Purple Moor Grass
- Switchgrass
- Ribbon Grass
- Northern Sea Oats
- Prairie Drop Seed
- Annual Quaking Grass
- Rabbit’s Tail Grass