Whether you have a large yard, a small patch of land to call a garden, or just a balcony to hang some container plants, you can find more than one ornamental grass variety to suit your needs. Despite being called ‘grass’, they are no less attractive than any flowering border and ground cover plants. The added advantage is that these are often much less fussy about their growing conditions than most flowering plants. Here is a list of the best tall and short ornamental grasses with images to make it easier for you to identify them:
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These are often planted to provide some privacy in one’s garden and home.
1. Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana) Height: 3-12 feet Width: 4-8 feet Sunlight: Full sun; can survive in partial shadeUSDA Zone: 5-9 Varieties: ‘Andes Silver’ Pampas, ‘Pumila’ Pampas, ‘Silver Fountain’ Pampas | 2. ‘Prairie Fire’ red switchgrass Height: 4-6 feet Width: 2-3 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 4-9 Varieties: None |
3. Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea)  Height: 4-6 feet Width: 1-2 feet Sunlight: Full sun to partial shadeUSDA Zone: 5-8 Varieties: M. caerulea ‘Moorhexe’, Variegated Purple Moor Grass, M. caerulea ‘Sky Racer’ | 4. Zebra Grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’) Height: 4-7 feet Width: 3-5 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 4-9 Varieties: None |
5. Flame grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘purpurascens’)  Height: 5-6 feet Width: Up to 3 feet Sunlight: Full sun to partial shadeUSDA Zone: 4-9 Varieties: None | 6. Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) Height: 3-5 feet Width: 2-4 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 8-11 Varieties: None |
7. Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) Height: 2-5 feet Width: Up to 3 feet Sunlight: Partial sunUSDA Zone: 3-9 Varieties: Northern Sea Oats ‘River Mist’ | 8. ‘Karl Foerster’ Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’)  Height: 2-6 feet Width: 2-3 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 4-9 Varieties: None |
9. Prairie Cord Grass (Spartina pectinata)  Height: 3-8 feet Width: 3-4 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 3-7 Varieties: ‘Red River Germplasm’ Prairie Cord Grass | 10. Himalaya Fairy Grass (Miscanthus nepalensis)  Height: 4-5 feet Width: 2-4 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 8-9 Varieties: None |
Apart from being popular for low-growing borders and hedges, these are also quite common as easy-to-grow houseplants.
1. Lilyturf (Liriope muscari) Also known as the big blue lilyturf, it is actually an evergreen grass-like flowering plant that can be planted like any ornamental grass in your garden. Tolerant to full sun and drought conditions, it produces pink to lavender, fragrant flower spikes in spring. Height: 1-2 feetWidth: up to 1 feet Sunlight: Partial to full shadeUSDA Zone: 5-9 Varieties: Variegated Liriope, L. spicata ‘Silver Dragon’ | 2. Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) As the name suggests, it grows attractive dark bluish-green grass blades that turn green unless it gets a lot of sunlight. Bluish flower spikes appear in summer, gradually turning bright yellow. Established plants have low care and watering needs. Looks good with red and yellow-flowered ground covers. Height: 1-3 feetWidth: Up to 2 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 4-8 Varieties: Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ |
3. Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonicus) This is another lily turf species that has made its name as an ornamental grass despite not actually belonging in the grass family. The bushy evergreen foliage, the appearance of purple flower spikes in summer, followed by beautiful dark blue berries all make it valuable as a groundcover, border, or container plant. Needs little care once established. Width: 1-2 feet Sunlight: Full to partial sunUSDA Zone: 6-11 Varieties: Variegated Mondo Grass, ‘Silver Dragon’ Mondo Grass | 4. Pink Muhly or Cotton Candy Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) Also known as hairawn muhly, this is a perennial, semi-evergreen ornamental grass with fluffy pink/purple flowers and a sedge-like appearance. Best suited for well-drained soils, including rocky soils, it needs regular watering only while growing. Fast-growing and quite drought-tolerant once established. Height: 2-3 feet Width: Up to 3 feetSunlight: Full sun USDA Zone: 5-10Varieties: ‘White Cloud’ Muhly, ‘Pink Flamingo’ Muhly |
5. Blue Dune Lyme Grass (Leymus arenarius ‘Blue Dune’) With its gorgeous silver-gray foliage, this one is ideal for borders and ground covers when combined with maroon-leafed plants like ninebark or vivid flowers like bush rose, and Crane’ s-bill. Produces brown or straw-colored flower spikes in summer. The fast-growing perennial grass is tolerant of salty soils, drought, as well as heat, but grows best in cold conditions. Height: 2-3 feetWidth: Up to 3 feet Sunlight: Full to partial sunUSDA Zone: 4-9 Varieties: None | 6. Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrical ‘Red Baron’) The grass species Imperata cylindrical or cogongrass is a highly invasive weed in both the US and Europe. But Japanese blood grass is a striking non-invasive cultivar that grows in tight clumps with vivid red leaf blades that add character to your garden. Tolerates dry, hot seasons, but does best with weekly watering. Make sure you want a lot of red in your garden before choosing this ornamental grass. Height: 1-2 feetWidth: up to 2 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 5-9 Varieties: None |
7. Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) A clump-forming, gracefully arching evergreen grass with straw-colored flower spikes appearing in summer. Draught-tolerant and can survive with irregular watering and little care. It looks like blue fescue but grows taller on average. With its blue foliage and yellowish flowers, it looks best with maroon, pink, and purple flowers like barberry, lavender, ajuga, and yucca. Height: 2-3 feetWidth: Up to 3 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 3-9 Varieties: ‘Sapphire Fountain’ Blue Oat Grass | 8. Hare’s-Tail Grass (Lagurus ovatus) Also called the bunny’s tail grass, the name comes from the feathery cream to white flower spikes that make excellent cut flowers too. It is an extremely hardy annual grass variety that can grow in all soil types from sandy to moist, well-drained soils. It has excellent drought tolerance and can be grown in almost any hardiness zone, outside of its range. Height: 1-2 feetWidth: Up to 2 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 8-11 Varieties: |
9. ‘Little Kitten’ Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Little Kitten’) It can grow in various types of soil, from light sandy to heavy clay and loam soils. Extremely tolerant of drought, heat, and shaded conditions once established. Each thin grass blade has a narrow white border that lends a silvery color to the neat fountain-shaped foliage. The leaves turn golden or bronze in winter. Silvery pink-white flowers appear in late summer. Height: 2-3 feetWidth: 1-2 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 5-9 Varieties: None | 10. Prairie Dropseed A striking low-growing ornamental grass, growing compact mounds of delicate bushy foliage that looks pretty when swaying with the wind. Clusters of tiny yellowish or brown mildly fragrant flowers appear in spring. The foliage turns a vivid shade of bronze or gold in the fall. Deer-resistant perennial grass variety, it can tolerate dry conditions, as well as snow, staying erect and attractive even during winter. Height: 2-3 feetWidth: Up to 3 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 3-9 Varieties: Dwarf Prairie Dropseed |
11. Little Bluestem Capable of growing in both acid and alkaline soils, this fast-growing perennial grass is a good option for beginners. The erect blue-green foliage turns a pretty rust shade in winter. Can survive in partial shade but too little sunlight, and too much water can make the foliage droop. Height: Up to 3 feetWidth: 1.5-2 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 3-9 Varieties: ‘Carousel’ Little Bluestem, ‘The Blues’ Little Bluestem | 12. Tufted Hairgrass ‘Northern Lights’ (Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Northern Lights’) A cool-season grass grows attractive variegated grey-golden foliage that has a tint of pink or purple in fall. Average care and watering needs. An excellent choice for borders, groundcover, and rock gardens. Height: 1-3 feetWidth: Up to 2 feet Sunlight: Filtered sun to light shadeUSDA Zone: 4-9 Varieties: None |
13. Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima) The first thing to keep in mind about this one is that despite its popularity as a gardening grass, it is highly invasive. So, make sure to plant it only if you can control its growth. Can grow in almost any type of soil, needing little care. Draught-tolerant once established. Height: 1-3 feetWidth: Up to 2 feet Sunlight: Full sunUSDA Zone: 7-11 Varieties: ‘Pony Tails’ Mexican Feather Grass | 14. Japanese Forest Grass A semi-evergreen perennial ornamental grass variety, it grows thick tufted foliage with relatively broad leaf blades. Grows best in moist soils, needing no special care once established. A good option for waterside gardens. It does well in containers as well. Height: 1-3 feetWidth: Up to 3 feet Sunlight: Full sun to shadeUSDA Zone: Varieties: Japanese Forest Grass ‘All Gold’, ‘Aureola’, ‘Albo Striata’ |
15. New Zealand Hair Sedge (Carex comans ‘Frosted Curls’) Short mound-forming grass with thin wispy olive green blades with silver tips with the foliage turning bronze-brown in winter. Looks best as borders to rock gardens or along water edges. It does well with weekly or more frequent watering to keep the soil moist. Best when planted along with iris and hosta plants. Height: 1-2 feetWidth: Up to 2 feet Sunlight: Full sun to full shadeUSDA Zone: 6-10 Varieties: None | 16. Variegated Japanese Sedge (Carex morrowii ‘Variegata’) One of the popular Japanese sage varieties with variegated foliage, it grows best in fertile wet soil with regular watering to keep the soil moist. Can stay evergreen in humid regions of Southern US, but not in the colder Northern areas. Suitable as a companion plant to dogwoods, bee balms, and forsythia. Height: 1-2 feetWidth: 1-2 feet Sunlight: Full sun to full shadeUSDA Zone: 5-9 Varieties: None |
The care requirements usually vary depending on what grass you have, but there are a few common factors. Most of these turn brown or bronze in winter, and while it renders a striking appearance, you need to cut these dry stems back to about 2 inches at the end of winter to allow new growth next season. Evergreen grasses just need trimming once every 1-2 years to keep them in shape. Most of these also need to be divided, or they may start dying in the middle.
Check with the nursery to make sure you are not getting some weedy species, as there are some popular ornamental grasses can be more or less invasive.
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