Ornamental grasses are a nice low maintenance addition to almost any landscape. They are easy to care for as they tend to be relatively disease and pest free. Most varieties require little watering or fertilizer. There are many different sizes and shapes to choose from.Smaller ones are often used as ground covers while larger ones can be used as ground cover while larger ones can be used as privacy hedges. Mid-sized varieties often make nice borders for landscape beds.
Warm season grasses start to grow vigorously in the late spring and early summer when things start to heat up. They tend to need less water and are relatively low maintenance. Most flower in the late summer and fall. Here are a few examples of more commonly used warm season ornamental grasses.
Molinia caerulea - Variegated moor grass - Green & white color. Part to full sun. Zone 5-9. Purple flower. 12-18" tall and wide.
Panicum virgatum - Switch grass - Dark green color. Full sun. Zone 4-9. Pink flowers. 3' wide & 4-5' tall..
Pennisetum alopecuroides - Fountain grass - Green color. Full sun. Zone 5-9. White flower. 2-3' tall and wide. Needs regular watering.
Schizachyrium scoparium - Blue heaven - Blue green color. Part sun/shade. Zone 3-8. Blue flowers. 2'wide & 4' tall. Red color in the fall.
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