Grasses That Grow in Temperate Woodlands

Colorful Grasses for Wet Soil

• Sedge “Ice Dance” (Carex “Ice Dance”) and grassy-leaved sweet flag “Minimus Aureus” (Acorus gramineus “Minimus Aureus”) are colorful grasses with a preference for medium to wet soil, such as you might find next to a low-lying area. “Ice Dance” has dark green, deer-resistant leaf blades edged in white and grows in partial to dense shade in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. “Minimus Aureus” grows in USDA zones 5 through 7 and offers aromatic, yellow leaf blades. Best for partial shade to full sun, this grass helps control soil erosion.

Mix with Perennials

• Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) and Japanese forest grass “Aureola” (Hakonechloa macra “Aureola”) mix well with perennials that thrive in partial shade, such as hostas (Hosta spp.). Tufted hair grass turns out panicles from mid- through late summer in purple, silver and gold that dance in the breeze and provide winter interest. Attractive to birds, this native to the Northern Hemisphere grows in USDA zones 4 through 9. Japanese forest grass has green leaves with golden striping and nodding yellow-green panicles that come out in mid-summer. It grows in USDA zones 4 through 9. Both grasses tolerate air pollution.

Cut for Flower Arrangements

• Certain grasses suited to temperate woodlands in USDA zones 5 through 9 look attractive in cut flower arrangements. Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) prefers full sun, which makes it just the right choice for the edge of south-facing woodlands or sizable clearings. Native to the southeastern U.S., it displays starry, blue flowers in mid- to late spring. Bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) not only attracts birds and controls soil erosion; it also tolerates air pollution and drought. This eastern-central U.S. native can grow in full shade to full sun and its bristly flowers appear in summer and persist into autumn.

Coniferous Woodlands

• Sedge “Snowline” (Carex conica “Snowline”) and spider wort (Tradescantia longipes) perform best in the acidic soil commonly found in temperate coniferous woodlands. “Snowline” grows in dense to partial shade in USDA zones 5 through 9 and features glossy, green leaf blades with white margins. It prefers moist soil and deer won’t eat it. Spider wort is a flowering perennial that puts out grass-like foliage and begets deep-blue to purple blossoms in mid- to late spring. Native to the Ozarks region, this plant grows in partial shade in USDA zones 4 through 9.