Ornamental grasses are reliable, beautiful and add interest to any garden. Their movement with the wind looks and sounds good while lending an informal, natural look to the entire landscape. Although true grasses belong to a specific plant family other grasslike plants such as sedges and rushes are often included in the category. Mature plants can range in height from 6 inches to over 10 feet giving almost endless space options.
Tall Grasses
Many of the tall perennial grasses, while surviving several mild USDA zone 3 (-40 F to -35 F) winters, are not reliable. The following are the hardiest choices: flame grass 'Herkules' (Miscanthus purpurascens), switch grass 'Dewey Blue' (Panicum amarum), big blue stem 'New Wave' (Andropogon gerardii) and feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster' (Calamagrostis x acutilflora).
Success is more assured with adequate water supply during the growing season, some protection from wind, plenty of mulch and a growing area which is not in a depression.
Planting and Care
Plant grasses in full sun, preferably in spring. For normal visual effect space them at a distance equal to their mature height placing them closer together for a privacy screen and farther apart to create a specimen feature.
Division is not usually necessary with grasses but you can do it for propagation as many named cultivars will not come true from seed. Cut back ornamental grasses to the ground each spring before growth begins.
Short Grasses
You can mass-plant several non-invasive, clump-forming grasses under 4 feet or include them in a garden bed. Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) displays perfectly rounded clumps of intensely blue leaves while June grass (Koeleria pyramidata also cristata and macrantha) is very compact with lustrous seed heads.
Little blue stem (Schizachyrium scoparium) boasts fluffy white seed plumes and foliage which turns orange to red in the fall as does silver spikegrass (Spodiopogon sibiricus). The fine textured seed heads of prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) turn gold to orange come cool weather.
Grass Growing
Grasses are very low maintenance and have few nutrient requirements. Insect pests and disease problems are rare. Even white-tailed deer do not eat most ornamental varieties. Many obtain mature size in just three years. Dramatic changes in foliage and seed heads create visual interest over several seasons including winter. Ornamental grasses offer an array of colors from green to blue, yellow, bronze, red and variegated, with textures varying from fine fescues to coarse giant miscanthus.
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