Ornamental Grass: Varieties & Uses
Late summer through fall is when ornamental grasses really shine! Low-maintenance and tough, grasses are excellent for common issues like salt, wind, poor soil, and drought. If you need an easy plant that doesn’t mind these harsh conditions, be sure to give ornamental grass a try!
Not sure what type will work best in your landscape? Check out our guide to the most popular types of grasses, and our favorite varieties we bring back year after year!
Pennisetum (Fountain Grasses)
Characteristics
- Classic, bottlebrush seed heads that almost look like a rabbit’s foot or pipe cleaner
- Rounded, fountain-like shape
- Produce a seed head earlier than any other large-growing ornamental grass
- Large variety of sizes
Popular Varieties
‘Hameln’
Dwarf fountain grass with fuzzy, wheat-colored flower heads that bloom June through late Fall. Arching, compact habit matures to 2-3 feet high and only 18-24 inches wide. Resistant to insect and disease problems.
‘Rubrum’
Our favorite thriller in fall containers! This more tender, annual fountain grass demands attention with its deep reddish purple foliage topped with soft red-burgundy flower plumes. Blooms last from July through frost. Reaches 3-5 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide. Drought tolerant and deer resistant!
‘Karley Rose’
Fountain grass with unique rose-purple plumes that bloom from June through fall. Upright habit reaches about 3-4 feet with flowers and 3-4 feet wide.
Uses
Try Pennisetum in mixed borders, both cut and dry flower arrangements, cottage gardening, foundations, specimen planting, and containers!
Panicum (Switchgrass)
- Native
- Airy, loose seedhead, almost transparent until you’re close by
- Tall, upright habit
‘Ruby Ribbons’
Bred at UConn, ‘Ruby Ribbons’ is one of the most popular varieties featuring a great mix of purples, reds, and green. Giving the most brilliant red fall color among switchgrasses, this one is sure to stand out in the landscape! Clump-forming vase-like habit reaches around 4-5 feet tall by 2-3 feet wide.
Uses
Use Panicum in groups in prairie and meadow gardens, screening, mixed borders, and erosion control on slopes!
Bluestem Grass
- Includes dwarf little bluestem and larger-growing big bluestem
- Native
- Long, wiry seedhead that opens sporadically down the line
- Among the few grasses with vibrant purple to red fall color after first frost
‘Standing Ovation‘
A little bluestem variety featuring wide leaf blades and a rigid upright habit of bluish-green foliage with red tips. Purplish-bronze flowers appear in August, followed by fluffy white seed heads that can last into winter. This plant puts on an amazing show of oranges, reds, yellows, and purplish-browns in the fall! For winter interest, wait to cut back until early spring. Matures to around 2-3 feet tall and 15-18 inches wide.
‘Blackhawks’
Striking big bluestem provides outstanding landscape color all year long. Bright green foliage sporting red accents in summer changes as weather cools, with stems and blades turning deep purple to black in fall! Upright, tight clumping habit reaches 4-5 feet tall and 2-2.5 feet wide.
Uses
Bluestems shine in groups placed along borders and in cottage and prairie gardens. They’re also a great choice for erosion control, on slopes, uneven ground, and restorations.
Miscanthus (Maiden Grasses)
- Often referred to as Zebra grasses (many cultivars have a distinctive yellow stripe either horizontally or vertically along the grass)
- Seed heads have a braided texture and bright golden color that sways in the wind
- Graceful, vase-like arching shape
- Typically tan, bronze, or red fall color
‘Adiago’
Dwarf Maiden Grass with narrow, silver-green blades that turn yellow, red, and orange in the fall. In late summer, delicate pink-tinted flowers rise above the foliage in soft, tassel-like plumes. Upright, arching habit reaches 3-4′ tall by 3-4′ wide.
‘Gracillimus’
Long and fine-textured variety of maiden grass with a graceful appearance. Grows in a dense cluster, reaching around 5-6 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. Dramatic silvery plumes appear in late summer that turn golden-bronze after frost. Great for fall and winter interest! Excellent pest and disease resistance!
Uses
Miscanthus is best suited for accents, along borders, in privacy screens, or for erosion control by water features.
