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Ornamental Grasses
Culture
True grasses
full sun
Drought tolerant
Little supplemental fertilization
Pest free
Low maintenance
Cut back in late winter, early spring
Inflorescences can be used as cut flowers or dried
Arundo donax
 Giant Reed, Poaceae, Z6
 Descriptive Charateristics/Culture:
 15’ tall, gray-green leaves, spread
by rhizomes, invasive in damp,
sunny places
 Pink inflorescence, drying to
silver
 Turns brown at freezing
 Landscape Use:
 Specimen or background
Arundo donax ‘Variegata’
Acorus gramineus
 Dwarf Sweet Flag, Araceae, Z 5
 Descriptive Characteristics/Culture:
 Less than 12”tall, leaves are
narrow and sedge-like, partial
shade, wet areas
 Grown mainly for foliage
 Landscape Uses:
 Slow-growing groundcover, wet
boggy areas
Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus’
Calamagrostis x acutiflora
 Feather Reed Grass, Poaceae, Z4
 Descriptive Characteristics/Culture:
 4-6 feet tall, deep green foliage,
cool season grower, clump
forming and upright
 Flowers are loosely feathers,
slightly purple, turning light
when mature
 Landscape Uses:
 Specimen, or vertical accent,
screen
Carex morrowii
 Kan suge, Cyperaceae, Z5
 Descriptive Characteristics/Culture:
 12” tall, narrow sedge leaves,
clumping, spreads by rhizomes,
non-invasive
 Landscape Uses:
 Groundcover, container
Carex morrowii ‘’Old Gold’
Cortaderia selloana
 Pampas Grass, Poaceae, Z 7-9
 Descriptive Characteristics/Culture:
 3-10 ft. Arching, leaves 3/4”
wide, sharp leaves can irritate
skin,
 Flowers Sept.-Oct.
 Landscape Uses:
 Specimen, limited by size
Festuca ovina glauca
 Blue fescue, Poaceae, Z 4
 Descriptive Characteristics/Culture:
 Six to ten inches, blue-gray
foliage, waxy in appearance, cool
season, not tolerant of summer
heat
 Landscape Uses:
 Color accent, container,
groundcover masses
‘Elijah Blue’
Hakonechloa macra
 Hakone Grass, Poaceae, Z 4
 Descriptive Characteristics/Culture:
 1-3 feet, rich green, arching
graceful stems, similar to bamboo
in appearance, warm season,
spread by rhizomes and stolons,
requires substantial shade in
warm climates
 Landscape Uses:
 Groundcover, accent, container
 Cvs. ‘Aureola’, more sun drought
tolerant
Miscanthus sinensis
 Miscanthus, Poaceae, Z 5
 Descriptive Characteristics/Culture:
 4-7 feet tall depending on cv.,
sharp green leaves with white
stripe down center, makes nice
clumps, may re-seed and become
invasive in warm wet areas,
warm season
 Flowers in reddish racemes
turning silver-white in fall
 Landscape Uses:
 Screen, specimen, accent
Miscanthus sinensis
Miscanthus sinensis
‘Adagio’
Flowers held above foliage, to 5 feet, smaller cultivar
‘Gracillimus’
Fine texture, gracefully rounded, flowers very
attractive, to 7 feet, golden yellow in fall
‘Morning Light’
Edges of leaves white
November Sunset’
Leaves narrow, flowers red
Miscanthus sinensis
‘Strictus’ (Porcupine Grass)
 Leaves wide with yellow horizontal stripes
Yaku Jima
Name given to dwarf varieties
Muhlenbergia capillaris
 Pink Muhly, Poaceae, Z 7
 Descriptive Characteristics/Culture:
 To 2 feet tall, thread-like leaves,
weeping habit
 Purple flowers resemble baby’s
breath
 Landscape Uses:
 Naturalizing, accent, container,
groundcover mass
Panicum virgatum
 Switch grass, Poaceae, Z 4
 Descriptive Characteristics/Culture:
 4-8 feet tall, dark green leaves,
upright growth, similar to cut
corn, warm season, year round
interest
 Flowers very airy
 Landscape Uses:
 Vertical accent, specimen, screen
 Cultivars
 Heavy Metal - Blue Switch Grass
 Clound Nine- Tall Switch Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides
 Fountain grass, Poaceae, Z 6
 Descriptive Characteristics/Culture:
 2-3 feet tall, narrow leaves less
than 1/2” diameter, green in
summer turning golden yellow
 Flowers, racemes resembling
foxtails, dark purple to creamy
white depending on cv., may be
invasive
 Landscape Uses:
 Accent, groundcover
 Cultivars
 Hameln-Creamy white flowers
Phalaris arundinacea
 Ribbon Grass, Poaceae, Z 4
 Descriptive Characteristics:
 To 5 feet tall, green upright
foliage, 1 inch wide, cool season,
dormant in summer, prefers some
shade, may be invasive
 Remove inflorescence, doesn’t
add to appearance
 Landscape Uses:
 Accents, groundcovers,
containers
 Cultivars
 Feesey- Strawberries and Cream