Ornamental grasses can add interest, form and texture to the landscape. Most grasses are easy to grow, simply water during the hot summer months and fertilize in spring. They need little maintenance other than cutting back deciduous types, (best done in spring) or dividing clumps that have gotten too big. The most important thing for success is providing the right exposure and soil conditions for each type of grass. There is a wide selection of grasses available on the market but there are some that stand out.
1# Carex ‘Ice Dance’ Evergreen: A hardy low growing sedge with cascading green foliage and white margins. Grows well in sun, shade or containers. Can be used as a border edge, mixed borders or for mass plantings. Water regularly during hot summer months.
2# Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’ Deciduous: Japanese forest grass is a low growing clumping grass with bright yellow cascading foliage. Needs afternoon shade, great for adding color in shade and woodland gardens, also makes a great container plant.
3# Imperata ‘Japanese Blood Grass’ Deciduous: Spreading medium sized grass with green foliage and bright red tips. Best in full sun and well drained soil. Stunning when mass planted and back lit by the sun.
4# Miscanthus ‘Cosmopolitan’ Deciduous: A clumping grass with broad green & white foliage. Beautiful 7′-8′ tall accent plant or suitable for large containers. Plant in full sun or light shade.
5# Miscanthus ‘Gold Bar’ Deciduous: Clumping grass with green foliage and horizontal yellow banding about 4′ tall. Not as drought tolerant as others from this family, will need regular watering during the summer. Tolerant of afternoon shade.
6# Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ Deciduous: Graceful clumping grass with arching green foliage and airy flowers in fall. A tall grass forming large clumps, can be used as single specimen, screen or for mass plantings. Full sun or light shade in fertile well-drained soil.
7# Mondo ‘Black Mondo Grass’ Evergreen: A lily turf and not a true grass it’s black foliage is however grass-like. Dwarf, slow spreading, producing small bell-shaped white to pink flowers in summer. Best in afternoon shade and fertile well-drained soil. Looks great in light colored containers, used for mass plantings or mixed with brightly colored plants.
8# Molina ‘Variegated Moor Grass’ Deciduous: Low growing clumper with cascading foliage. Soft green and creamy-yellow variegated foliage. Airy flowers on long stalks and is drought tolerant when established. Suitable as single specimen or for mass plantings. Best in afternoon sun and needs well-drained soil in winter.
9# Pampas ‘White’: Semi-evergreen: Tall grass forming large clumps, beautiful large white, ostrich feather-like plumes in fall. Full sun or light shade and needs well-drained soil in winter. Suitable as a eye catching specimen grass or a screen.
10# Panicum ‘Rostrabusch’ Deciduous: A clump forming grass with green foliage, lots of airy flowers and brilliant rusty orange and red fall color. Nice medium sized specimen grass for mass planting. Best in afternoon sun in fertile well-drained soil.
