Grasses

Known for their 3 - season interest, particularly fall and winter, ornamental grasses add drama to the landscape.  One of my favorite family vacations took us to Longwood Gardens in late February where we heard the grasses rustling in the wind, before we found Longwood’s outstanding demonstration garden.   

Calamagrostis - Feather Reed Grass 

Calamagrostis Avalanche 3-4’new white center variegated foliage

Calamagrostis  Karl Foerster- 3’ soil adaptable, likes full sun to part shade, stunning vertical accent - PPA 2001 Plant of the Year

Carex - Sedge

Carex Bowles Golden- 24-36”Bright Gold Foliage w/Narrow Green Margins. Plant with Hostas

Carex  Ice Dance - 12” Green Blades w/ White Borders- Likes Shade, plant with impatiens

Chasmanthium - Northern Sea Oats                  

Chasmanthium to 4’ Bamboo type foliage & drooping showy flowers, likes rich moist soil, although very tolerant of different soil types

Festuca - Fescue

Fescue - Boulder Blue -  8”, metallic blue

Festuca g. Elijah Blue 8” Clumping powdery blue, fine textured, likes cool coast conditions &nice accent in container

Hakonechloa - Japanese Fountain Grass

Hakonechloa aureola - 18-24” Bright Yellow foliage, really pretty in the shade

Hakonechloa  Albo variegata - Green & white stripe, excellent landscape plant w/ bamboo like foliage likes moist well drained, fertile soil

Helichotrichon - Blue Oat Grass

Helichotrichon Sapphire 24” - Very vigorous, slightly wider blue clumping foliage with flowers that turn gold in June & July

Leymus Blue Dune -  Blue Lyme Grass,12-18”, metallic blue foliage, invasive-grows almost anywhere tolerant of salt spray & wind

Luzula nivea - Snowy Wood Rush, 18-24”, full to part shade, cotton-y flowers early summer

Miscanthus sinensis - Maiden Grass

Miscanthus Adagio - 2’, dwarf maiden grass

Miscanthus Dixieland - 4-5’ a compact form of Variegatus

Miscanthus Heron Sunrise - 5-6’, Zone 4, silver mid-line, nice burgundy flowers

Miscanthus Gracillimus - 5-6’, upright narrow leaves, feathery & fine textured

Miscanthus Little Zebra - 3-4’ compact Zebra Grasses, horizontal yellow bands, wide green leaves, silvery plumes

Miscanthus Morning Light - 4-5’ fine blades with thin bands of green and white, bronze-red flowers

Miscanthus Sarabande - 5-6’, fine textured silvery foliage, golden plumes

Miscanthus Silberfeder - Silver Feather- 6-8’silver plumes, long blooming

Miscanthus Silver Arrow - Wide blades, green and white, more upright than Variegatus

Miscanthus Strictus - Zebra grass, 6-8’, more upright than Zebrinus

Miscanthus Variegatus - Variegated Japanese Silver Grass- 5-7’, strong reddish bronze flowers

Panicum Dallas Blue - Switch Grass, 5’, blue foliage, purple rose flowers

Panicum  Shenandoah -  2-3’ Great red fall foliage

Pennisetum - Fountain Grass

Pennisetum alopecuroides - 3’ Grows to 3’, caterpillar-like flowers late July-Sept., likes moist well drained soil

Pennisetum a. Hameln - 24-30” More compact than species            

Pennisetum o. Karley Rose - 18-24”, Dusty Pink Flowers-long blooming

Schizachyrium The Blues - Little Blue Stem,3’, Thrives in heat and humidity, blue streaks & burgundy                                          

Sisyrinchium - Blue eyed Grass, 10”, technically not a grass, irresistably blue-star flowers with miniature iris – like foliage