Water Tolerant Grass

Types of Grasses

• When most people think of grass, they think of their front lawns. However, turf grass is only one member of Poaceae, the grass family of plants. Other members include sedges, reeds and rushes. Grasses carpet lawns, feed livestock, provide grain staples for human nutrition, anchor rain gardens and hold stream banks in riparian areas. In soils with high water content, choosing the right grasses promotes health and survivability of plants, and offers protection against erosion.

Ornamental Grasses

• Gardeners enjoy ornamental grasses for their diversity in size, shape, color and value to wildlife. Sweet flag (Acorus spp.) is very water tolerant and will grow even in standing water. They are good choices for bog gardens or poorly draining sites. Sedges (Carex spp.) thrive in wet soils and offer a variety of cultivars including “Gold Band” with yellow leaf margins, “Ice Fountains” with cream-and-green variegation and “Blue Zinger” with blue-green leaves. Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora “Karl Foerster”) is a highly water-tolerant ornamental grass that grows to a height of 6 feet and has a distinctive pink flower spike.

Rain Gardens

• Rain gardens capture water from roofs and paved surfaces and return it to the landscape, which keeps it from filling storm drains and being diverted into retention ponds. Plants that fill rain gardens must be tolerant of temporary wet conditions, while rain slowly absorbs into the ground. Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) and creeping foxtail (Alopecurus arundinaceus) are water-tolerant grasses that have been used to prevent erosion in pastures and in rain gardens. Zebra grass and maiden grass are Miscanthus species that are recommended by the University of Georgia for their use in rain gardens.

Riparian Areas

• Riparian areas are creekbanks and riverbanks that are planted with vegetation. They are transitional areas between wetlands and upland habitats. Plants improve these areas by holding soil in place with their roots, which reduces erosion. Plants are generally installed in bands, with those closest to the water’s edge having the highest tolerance for water. Rushes (Juncus spp.) are often chosen as plantings for the first riparian band. Their roots stabilize banks and help maintain water tables, according to Ohio State University Extension.