Perennials.com

Ornamental Grasses

Perennials 101, Perennials for Special Purposes

 

To see a complete description of our ornamental grasses, simply click on its Botanical Name.

Cool-season grasses begin growing in early spring and slow down or go dormant during the heat of summer. Some of these grasses tend to look a bit scruffy during July / August and may need a trim. Cool-season grasses do best in areas with cooler summers and low humidity.

Warm-season grasses wait until the weather warms up before they begin to grow. Most stand up very well to heat and humidity and grow best in areas with long, hot summers.

Ornamental Grasses Main Feature Climate Hardy to Zone Height Clump Forming Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus’ (Sweet Flag) Yellow striped tufts, Prefers wet soil 6 1 ft yes Arrhenatherum bulbosum ‘Variegatum’ (Bulb Oat Grass) Soft mounds of white striped leaves C 2 1.5 ft yes Briza media (Quaking Grass) Delicate, heart shaped flowers C 5 1.5 ft yes Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ Bold vertical clump. Early flowers C 4 4-5 ft yes Calamagrostis arundinacea ‘Overdam’ Striking variegation, upright habit C 5 3-4 ft yes Carex buchananii (Leather-Leaf Sedge) Unusual, cinnamon-colored mop 6 2 ft yes Carex comans ‘Bronze’ (Bronze Hair Sedge) Even floppier than C. buchananii 6 1 ft yes Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) Seed heads look like a fish mobile W 5 3 ft no Deschampsia caespitosa ‘Bronzeschleier’ (Hair Grass) Tall, airy flowers over low mounds C 4 4 ft yes Elymus arenarius (Lyme Grass) Bright gray leaves, drought tolerant W 4 2.5 ft no Festuca glauca ‘Skinner’s Blue’ Blue-gray clumps of soft, thin foliage C 2 1 ft yes Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ The bluest Festuca, spiky habit C 3 1 ft yes Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ (Golden Hakonechloa) Adorable habit, brilliant gold colour 6 2 ft no Helictotrichon sempervirens (Blue Oat Grass) Blue-gray, very spiky mound C 4 3 ft yes Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’ (Japanese Blood Grass) Leaf tips are bright red all season W 5 1.5 ft no Juncus effusus ‘Unicorn’ (Spiral Rush) Tight spirals of dark green reeds 4 2.5 ft no Luzula sylvatica (Greater Wood Rush) Tolerant of dry shade, low clumps 5 1 ft yes Milium effusum ‘Aureum’ Golden foliage, shade tolerant C 5 1 ft no Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ (Maiden Grass) Narrow leaves form a tall airy fountain W 5 5-6 ft yes Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens (Maiden Grass) Bright red fall colour. White plumes W 5 4-5 ft yes Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ (Maiden Grass) Tall, silvery plumes through fall W 5 6 ft yes Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’ (Maiden Grass) Unusual yellow bands across leaves W 5 6 ft yes Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’ (Maiden Grass) Arching mound of cream striped leaves W 5 5 ft yes Miscanthus sinensis ‘Yaku Jima’ (Maiden Grass) A dwarf form of ‘Gracillimus’, above W 6 3 ft yes Phalaris arundinacea ‘Feesey’s Form’ (Ribbon Grass) Leaves emerge pink, green and white C 2 2-3 ft no Phalaris arundinacea ‘Picta’ (Ribbon Grass) Clean, green and white leaves. C 2 2-3 ft no Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ (Fountain Grass) White fuzzy-bear plumes in fall W 5 2 ft yes Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Moudry’ (Fountain Grass) Near black plumes in fall W 5 3 ft yes Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ (Purple Fountain Grass) Purple leaves, nodding fuzzy plumes W 9 3 ft yes