Ornamental grasses come in sizes ranging from as short as 2 inches tall to ten feet tall or more. They can provide interest to your garden and landscape all year long.
Ornamental grasses can add color, texture, movement, visual relief as well as help set the mood of a garden. How many plants can do all that?
We can divide ornamental grasses and their uses into three categories based on height.
Short grasses (less than 2’ tall) can be used as:
- Groundcovers
- Filler between perennials to help make groups of perennials stand out more
- Fillers or even spillers in Containers
- Border walkways and paths
- Soften hardscapes and boulders
- Add texture and variety to rock gardens
Medium grasses (2-4’ tall) can be used as:
- Filler to add color, texture and movement
- Thriller in Containers
- Stand alone focal point
Tall grasses (4’+ tall) can be used as:
- Stand alone focal point
- Screens
- Backdrop to perennial gardens or rose gardens
- Create rooms in the garden
Cultural conditions for most grasses and care for grasses (there are exceptions to these conditions)
- Full sun (too much shade and they often flop over)
- Most adapt to all but the wettest soils
- Nutrients needs are minimal
- Quite drought tolerant once established
- Cut back in late winter or early spring
- Some aggressive varieties may need to be divides every few years
Ornamental grasses can be incorporated into any style garden or setting. Here are few where they can really shine.
- Rustic garden or country style setting
- Prairie gardens
- Mountain settings
- English and perennial gardens
- Japanese gardens
- Wildflower or meadow gardens
- Succulent and rock gardens
- Container gardens
- Around water features
- Tropical look around pools
- Rose gardens
Use Ornamental Grasses with a purpose
- Repeat throughout a landscape to create continuity. Can use one variety of grasses or several as the texture also creates the continuity
- Plant between groups of perennials or roses to that when the flowering plants are blooming they really stand out.
- Border hard edge walkways or walls to soften the look
- Use en mass to create a calm, soothing feeling
- Add to a garden or landscape bed to add texture or varying height
- Garden with limited space grasses can add a lot of impact year round.
- Brighten a shady spot
Popular varieties of ornamental grasses
Sun
Big Blue and Variegated liriope, Blue Fescue, Fireworks grass (annual), Mexican Feather grass, Purple Fountain grass (annual), Moudry grass, Little Kitten Grass, Pink and White Muhly grass, Dallas Blue Grass, Adagio grass, Morning Light grass, Pampass grass
Shade
Dwarf and regular Mondo grass, Black Mondo grass, Big Blue and Variegated liriope, Everillo grass
