Border Grasses for the Lawn

Location

• The first thing to consider when choosing an ornamental border grass is the location in which it will be planted. Consider both climate and the amount of sunlight that your lawn receives. Choose a grass that grows well in your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone to prevent loss due to climate issues like heat and drought. Most grasses prefer sunny locations, so if your lawn is shady or gets less than eight hours of sun each day, choose a grass that tolerates shade, like Phormium tenax and its hybrids.

Growing Conditions

• Consider whether your soil is rocky, sandy or full of clay. Some grasses do better in rocky soil, while others need more sand or require organic matter. Evaluate the moisture levels of your soil. Most grasses prefer well-drained areas, so if water retention is a problem in your lawn, you will need to select a grass that likes wet conditions, like Chasmanthium latifolium.

Plant Characteristics

• Consider how a border grass will complement your other landscaping features. Carefully evaluate the color, shape and height that you desire for your lawn border. Grasses come in many colors, including blue, red and silver. They may have a fountain shape, or they may mound or clump. Grass comes in a range of heights from just a few inches to several feet tall. Grass blades also vary widely, providing a large range of textures from which to choose.

Popular Specimens

• The most common border grass in the United States is not a grass at all, but a lily. Liriope, sometimes called "monkey grass" or "lilyturf," is a nearly indestructible plant with numerous cultivars. Most specimens have upright, pointed leaves and tall, purple or white flower stalks. Members of the Carex genus, called sedges, and members of the Festuca genus, called fescues, are also popular and offer a variety of choices. According to Dr. Brian Maynard of the University of Rhode Island, members of the genuses Miscanthus, Panicum and Pennisetum are also popular ornamental grasses.

Unusual Specimens

• Another member of the lily family, Tulbaghia violacea or "Society Garlic," makes an interesting border plant, with silvery, garlic-scented foliage. For a large, screening border, choose a large grass like Cortaderia selloana or Pampas Grass, or the somewhat smaller Mulhenbergia rigens, called Deer Grass. For an unusual specimen grass, consider Carex caryophyllea 'Beatlemania,' which produces clumps of yellow-green, mop-like foliage.