Grasses for a Landscape

Facts

• Ornamental grasses grow with little trouble, have few pest problems and require very little maintenance, when the type of grass is properly matched to the appropriate growing site. These fast-growing plants spread by seed or rhizomes (underground stems) where some form clumps and others spread indefinitely. The clump-forming varieties can be divided in early spring for thinning and starting new plants. Though most popular for their foliage, many of these versatile, landscape grasses will delight you with a show of flowers each year in the form of plumes.

Identification

• Because the basic structure is similar among most ornamental grasses, they are normally readily recognizable among other plants, but there are different characteristics among the many types. Some grow to a maximum height of 6 inches, while larger varieties reach a height of 14 feet. Available in a large variety of colors, including yellow, red, orange and purple, some grasses, like tree leaves, change color in the fall, which extends the length of their appeal in your landscape. The varying textures and growth habits, including low-growing mounds to tall and vertical specimens, add to the many different characteristics within this family of plants.

Types

• The pool of ornamental grasses is vast, but most of the specimens used in today's landscape fall under one of four groups, including fescue, fountain grass, Miscanthus and switch grass. Though each of the groups are clump-forming grasses, the fescue types thrive during cool seasons while the remaining three are primarily warm season growers. The sizes, colors and shapes of the grasses in each group are as varied as their growing requirements.

Function

• Beyond their decorative effect, grasses have many uses, such as erosion control, softening walkway borders and adding color to the landscape during drab winter months. Some large varieties mature quickly during a season to form a living privacy screen or windbreak, while smaller specimens make a suitable groundcover and fit well into rock gardens.