It’s hard to overcome what ornamental grasses need to provide: incredible texture, sublime colours and seed heads that sway and supply motion in the garden. As autumn begins, these spectacular plants go out of the background to claim our attention in ways that other plants simply can’t. With their wide range of sizes, forms and colorations, you are sure to come across an ornamental grass that’s suited to your outside area.
Shirley Bovshow
Muhly Grass
(Muhlenbergia capillaris)
Muhly grass offers one of the most stunning colorations of all the ornamental grasses. It starts out as a neat green mound of fine foliage, and by summer time it starts developing a mauve-pink squirt of seed heads. This grass blends in beautifully with other ornamental grasses and flowering perennials.
USDA zones: 5a to 10b
Water requirement: Typical
moderate requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature dimensions: 4 feet tall
Planting tips: Plant in fall or spring, and prune down to 12 inches in late winter or early spring.
Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture
Feather Reed Grass
(Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’)
Gardeners searching for a taller grass because of their autumn gardens should take a look at feather reed grass. Its more, vertical seed heads create a stunning appearance in the fall garden, and it combines well with other grasses and flowering perennials. Some parts of the plant have been known to be poisonous if ingested, so use caution if you’ve got young children or pets.
USDA zones: 5a to 9b (find your zone)
Water condition: Typical
moderate requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature dimension: 6 feet tall
Planting tips: Plant in fall and cut grass down to 12 inches in late winter or early spring.
Gaile Guevara
Japanese Blood Grass
(Imperator cylindrical)
Searching for a striking red-hued grass? Have a look at Japanese blood grass. With its ruby red foliage, this grass stands out like no other in the garden, making it an ideal addition facing tamer-color plants, walls and fences.
USDA zones: 6 to 9
Water requirement: Moderate
moderate requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature dimensions: 18 to 24 inches tall
Planting tips: Plant in fall or spring; prune in late winter or early spring.
Debora carl landscape design
Mexican Feather Grass
(Stipa tenuissima)
This is one of the ideal midsize blossoms that seem to locate their way into several gardens. Its soft feel and lighter green color set it apart from other blossoms, and its own low-maintenance needs endear it to many gardeners. It’s known to be invasive on several regions of the American West Coast, so check with your regional nursery before placing it.
USDA zones: 6 to 10
Water requirement: Typical to low once recognized
moderate requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 18 to 36 inches tall
Planting tips: Plant in fall or spring and pop out some unwanted pups if they spring up. It’s not necessary to cut this smaller grass back, however use your hands to comb out any dead growth from around the perimeter of the plant at any moment.
Arterra Landscape Architects
Maiden Grass
(Miscanthus sinensis)
This is another of those versatile grasses that work well in several gardens because of their dimensions and low-maintenance requirements. It features slender green foliage in the spring and summer, using wheat-like seed heads making an appearance in late summer into fall.
USDA zones: 5 to 9
Water requirement: Typical
moderate requirement: Full sun
Mature dimension: 5 to 8 feet tall, depending upon variety
Planting tips: Plant in fall and prune to 12 inches in late winter or early spring.
Inland Sea Oats
(Chasmanthium latifolium)
Sea oats provides a more peculiar look in the fall garden, together with oat-like seed heads atop green foliage. Its ability to thrive in less-than-perfect soil and water conditions makes it a favorite among gardeners, and its own low-maintenance needs are frequently appreciated. Plant it sweeps or tuck it in to perennial beds and borders.
USDA zones: 5a to 9b
Water requirement: Typical
moderate requirement: Sun to partial shade
Mature dimensions: 36 inches tall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall; eliminate or prune any dead foliage the moment it appears.
Photo by Eric in SF through Wikimedia Commons
Diamondscape, Inc..
Bamboo Muhly
(Muhlenbergia dumosa)
This really is an excellent choice for gardeners wanting a pot with a fine texture and lacy foliage. Its fluffy texture and arching kind create a soft background plant from xeriscape gardens. Planted in sweeps or exhibited in large containers, bamboo muhly gives an Asian look to gardens with no “actual” bamboo.
USDA zones: 7 to 10
Water requirement: Low, once recognized
moderate requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature dimension: 3 to 6 feet tall
Planting tips: Plant in fall or spring; prune off or rake out some dead foliage that looks.
Astrid Gaiser Garden Design, LLC
Blue Fescue
(Festuca glauca)
Blue fescue is your ornamental grass solution for gardeners looking for a low-growing and remarkably colored plant. It’s a small grass with striking icy blue-gray foliage, and it’s ideal for massing in the front of a perennial border, naturalized meadow plantings or rock gardens.
USDA zones: 4 to 11
Water requirement: Moderate
moderate requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature dimension: 8 to 12 inches tall
Planting tips: Plant in spring or fall; remove old foliage as new growth appears in late winter or early spring.
More:
8 Knockout Flowers for a Fall Container Garden