Ornamental grasses add an interesting
appeal to garden beds. They add contrasting color, unusual form, motion with
wind, easy to maintain, and winter structure. Some have stiff blades, some are
airy, some have unique seed heads, and most can be dried for flower
arrangements.
There are two types of ornamental grasses,
distinguished by how they grow. One is clumping or bunching, the other is
spreading or runner.
The clumping type stays circular and in a
neat habit, whereas the spreading type does just that. The type you chose
depends on the amount of space you have, if you want it contained, and what appeal
do you want to have (a focal point in the back of a bed, a sea of motion, or a
filler plant for contrast).
Some can be perennial; others are annual,
depending on your growing zone. Grasses don’t need a lot of care: water the
young ones well until they are established, then only occasionally. In the
early spring, cut back the fescues to half their height, the feather reed grass needs to be cut back
to 8-10”, and the blue oat grass needs to be raked with your hands to remove old blades
Some of the more common ornamental grasses for
zone 3 are listed below with their botanical name and general size.
Annual clumping
Pampas Grass (Coraderia selloana) Height: 8-12’ Width: n/a (sharp
leaves)
Wind Dancer (Eragrotis) Height: 2-3’ Width:
2-3’
Fountain Grass, Ornamental Millet (Pennisetum) Height: 30-36” Width: 24”
Mexican Feather Grass (Stipa) Height:
1-1.5’ Width: 2’
Perennial clumping grasses
Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis) Height: 5’ Width: 30”
Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia) Height:
3’ Width: 2’
Fescue (Festuca)
Height:
1’ Width: 1’
Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon) Height:
3’ Width: 30”
Maiden Grass (Miscanthus) Height: 4-5’ Width: 3-4’
Moor Grass (Molinia) Height:
2’ Width: 2’
Switch Grass (Panicum) Height:
3’
Width: 2’
Perennial spreading grasses
Ribbon Grass (Phalaris) Height:
3’ Width: invasive
Blue Lyme Grass (Elymus) Height:
2-3’ Width: invasive
Skinners Gold (Bromus) Height: Width: invasive
Bulbous Oat Grass (Arrhenatherum) (this spreads slowly) Height: 1.5’ Width: 1.5’ plus
Please be aware of where you plant the
invasive varieties.
Photo by: www.bobvila.com