Grasses for Moist, Dry or Shade Conditions, and Height and Fall Color

Perennial grasses are a good value - they live for years, sometimes decades, filling out quickly and reaching maturity in one or two years.  If you start them from seed, it will take a year or two longer, and this is an economical way to grow a large variety of ornamental grasses.

A nursery that has a display garden lets you see how plants mature and change through the season.  This is especially important with grasses because they often appear bedraggled in containers, and don't reflect the striking beauty they develop once planted.  Grasses are typically sold in 1, 2 and 5 gallon containers - ranging in price from $10 and up for one in a 2 gallon container.

Over-all best ANNUAL ornamental grasses to grow: 

• Annual Fountain Grass (pennisetum setaceum)

• Great Quaking or Pearl Grass (briza maxima)

• Feathertop Grass (pennisetum, villosum)

• Rabbit's Tail Grass (lagurus ovatus)

Grasses for moist conditions: 

Grasses for Moist Conditions
Feather Reed Grass	Moor Grass	Rushes

• Sweet flag (Acorus calamus)

• Japanese Sweet Flag (Acorus gramineus)

• Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora)

• Rushes (Juncus, all species)

• Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea)

• 'Woods Dwarf' dwarf ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea 'Woods Dwarf')

• Feesey's Form Ribbon Grass (Phalaris anundinacea 'Feesey's Form')

• Variegated Prairie Cord Grass (Spartina pectinata 'Aureomarginata')

Grasses for Fall Color:

Grasses for Fall Color
Flame Grass	Variegated Prairie Cordgrass

• Broom-sedge (Andropogon virginicus, orange)

• Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron,' wine-red)

• Flame Grass (Miscanthus 'Purpurascens,' orange-red)

• Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum, golden-yellow)

• Red Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum 'Hanse Herms,' burgundy)

• Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans, yellow-orange)

• Variegated Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata 'Aureomarginata,' yellow)

• Japanese Themeda (Themeda japonica, red-orange)

Grasses for Screening/Privacy:

Grasses for Screening/Privacy
Pampas Grass	Silver Feather Maiden Grass

• Karl Foerster's Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster')

• Compact Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila')

• Ravenna Grass (Saccharum ravannae)

• 'Cabaret' Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis condensatus 'Cabaret')

• 'Morning Light' Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light')

• Silver Feather Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder'). 

Grasses for Light Shade:

Grasses for Light Shade
Golden Meadow Foxtail	Bottle-brush Grass

• Golden Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis 'Variegatus')

• Sedges (most Carex species

• Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia caespitosa)

• Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa macra)

• Bottle-brush Grass (Hystrix patula)

• Variegated Moor Grass (Molina caerulea 'Variegata')

• Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea)

• Autumn Moor Grass (Sesleria autumnalis)

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