Landscape Uses for Ornamental Grasses

Drought Tolerant
Achnatherum hymenoides
Andropogon gerardii - all
Bouteloua curtipendula
Bouteloua gracilis - all
Calamagrostis - all
Elymus cinereus
Festuca arizonica
Festuca cinerea 'Fruehlingsblau'
Festuca glauca - all
Festuca idahoensis - all
Festuca mairei
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Koeleria - all
Miscanthus sinensis - all
Nasella viridula
Panicum - all
Poa glauca 'Blue Hills'
Schizachyrium scoparium - all
Sesleria autumnalis
Sesleria caerulea
Sesleria heufleriana
Sorghastrum nutans - all
Sporobolus heterolepis
Sporobolus wrightii

Moisture Tolerant
Alopecurus prat. 'Aureovariegatus'
Calamagrostis - all
Carex species - most
Chasmanthium latifolium
Deschampsia - all
Elymus magellanicus
Festuca mairei
Juncus - all
Luzula species - all
Miscanthus - all
Molinia - all
Panicum virgatum - all
Phalaris
Scirpus atrovirens

Shade Tolerant
Achnatherum calamagrostis
Alopecurus prat. 'Aureovariegatus'
Calamagrostis - all
Carex species - most
Chasmanthium latifolium
Deschampsia - all
Koeleria pyramidata (cristata)
Luzula - all
Molinia - all
Pennisetum orientale
Sesleria caerulea
Sesleria heufleriana

Summer Inflorescence
Calamagrostis - all
Chasmanthium latifolium
Miscanthus sinensis - some
Molinia - all
Panicum - all
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'
Pennisetum orientale
Sorghastrum nutans - all
Sporobolus wrightii

Salt Tolerant
Calamagrostis - all
Chasmanthium latifolium
Elymus magellanicus
Festuca - all
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Panicum - all
Pennisetum alopecuroides

Spring Inflorescence
Carex grayi
Carex pendula
Deschampsia - all
Festuca - all
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Koeleria glauca
Luzula - all
Sesleria - all except S. autumnalis

Evergreen
Carex flagellifera
Carex pendula
Deschampsia - milder climates
Festuca - in milder climates
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Luzula nivea - milder climates
Luzula sylvatica
Sesleria caerulea
Sesleria heufleriana

Fall Colour
Andropogon gerardii - all
Calamagrostis acut. 'Karl Foerster'
Chasmanthium latifolium
Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens
Molinia - all
Panicum - all
Schizachyrium scoparium - all
Sesleria - all, in mild climates
Sorghastrum nutans 'Indian Steel'
Sporobolus airoides
Sporobolus heterolepis
Sporobolus wrightii
Stipa brachytricha

Variegated or Coloured Foliage
Alopecurus prat. 'Aureovariegatus'
Arrhenatherum bulb. 'Variegatum'
Calamagrostis acut. 'Avalanche'
Calamagrostis acut. 'Overdam'
Carex flagellifera
Carex riparia 'Variegata'
Carex musk. 'Ice Fountains'
Carex musk. 'Oehme'
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Molinia caerulea 'Variegata'
Panicum amarum 'Dewey Blue'
Panicum virgatum 'Hanse Herms'
Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'
Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Sky'
Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'
Panicum virgatum 'Squaw'
Panicum virgatum 'Rotstrahlbusch'
Phalaris arundinacea 'Feesey'
Poa glauca 'Blue Hills'

For Screen or Hedge
Andropogon gerardii
Calamagrostis acut. 'Karl Foerster'
Elymus cinereus
Miscanthus 'Giganteus'
Miscanthus sinensis - all
Panicum virgatum - most
Sorghastrum nutans - all
Sporobolus wrightii

Note: willows are better suited for hedges/screens due to the fact that most grasses will not have any height until early July. Please refer to our Willows for Screening webpage for further info.

Woodland
Alopecurus prat. 'Aureovariegatus'
Chasmanthium latifolium
Luzula - all

Low-Growers - Front of Border
Alopecurus prat. 'Aureovariegatus'
Deschampsia 'Goldtau'
Festuca - all except F. mairei
Koeleria - all
Poa glauca 'Blue Hills'
Sesleria heufleriana

Rock Gardens
Bouteloua gracilis - all
Bouteloua curtipendula
Buchloe
Carex flacca
Carex car. 'The Beatles'
Carex car. 'Beatlemania'
Festuca (except for F. mairei)
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Koeleria - all
Nasella viridula
Sesleria autumnalis
Sesleria heufleriana
Sporobolus heterolepis

Woodland Edge
Achnatherum calamagrostis
Calamagrostis epigeos
Carex aurea
Carex flacca
Carex muskingumensis - all
Koeleria -all
Molinia - all
Nasella viridula
Scirpus atrovirens
Sesleria - all
Stipa brachytricha

Specimen Grasses
Achantherum calamagrostis
Achnatherum hymenoides
Calamagrostis acut. 'Karl Foerster'
Calamagrostis acut. 'Overdam'
Chasmanthium latifolium
Elymus cinereus
Festuca arizonica
Festuca mairei
Festuca idahoensis 'Joseph'
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Miscanthus - all
Molinia arundinacea
Molinia arundinacea 'Skyracer'
Molinia caerulea - all
Pennisetum - all
Poa glauca 'Blue Hills'
Saccharum ravennae
Sporobolus wrightii
Stipa brachytricha

North American Natives
Achnatherum hymenoides
Andropogon gerardii
Bouteloua curtipendula
Bouteloua gracilis
Buchloe
Calamagrostis stricta
Calamagrostis canadensis
Carex grayi
Carex riparia 'Variegata'
Deschampsia
Elymus cinereus
Festuca arizonica
Festuca idahoensis
Festuca ovina
Juncus - all that we carry
Koeleria pyramidata (cristata)
Panicum - all that we carry
Schizachyrium scoparium- all
Scirpus atrovirens
Sorghastrum - all that we carry
Sporobolus airoides
Sporobolus heterolepis
Sporobolus wrightii

For Dried Arrangements
Achnatherum calamagrostis
Achnatherum hymenoides
Bouteloua gracilis - all
Calamagrostis - all
Carex grayi
Chasmanthium latifolium
Deschampsia - all
Koeleria - all
Miscanthus - all
Panicum virgatum - all
Saccharum ravennae
Sesleria caerulea
Sesleria heufleriana
Schizachyrium scoparium
Sorghastrum - all
Sporobolus heterolepis
Stipa brachytricha

Running Grasses (invasive)
Calamagrostis epigejos - in sandy soil
Calamagrostis stricta
Calamagrostis canadensis
Carex riparia 'Variegata'
Imperata cyl. 'Rubra'
Phalaris arundinacea 'Feesey'

Sod-Forming or Slow Spreading Grasses (not invasive)
Alopecurus pratensis 'Aureovariegatus'
Andropogon gerardii
Bouteloua curtipendula
Carex aurea
Carex car. 'The Beatles'
Carex car. 'Beatlemania'
Carex flacca
Carex muskingumensis - all
Panicum - all
Sorghastrum - all

Alkaline Tolerant
Koeleria - all
Sporobolus airoides
Sporobolus wrightii

Acid Soil
Molinia - all