Different Landscaping Grasses

USDA Zones 3 and 4

• Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis) has no tolerance for shade but easily withstands drought. Cold hardy to USDA zone 3, blue grama grass grows to 20 inches. A seedhead at the plant's top resembling an eyebrow bending into a U shape is a trademark of this landscaping grass. When frost occurs, the leaves change to purple before becoming tan. Use Canada rye grass (Elymus canadensis) as a groundcover on sun-soaked, dry hillsides. This grass for zones 3 and 4 grows as high as 5 feet with bluish-green foliage and tan winter colors. Canada rye grass is cold hardy enough to survive in southern Alaska, notes Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses.

USDA Zone 5 and 6

• Festuca gluaca "Elijah Blue" forms clumps, is evergreen and suitable for landscaping projects in USDA zones 5 and 6. Elijah Blue grows to 12 inches and has a form resembling what the Washington State University Clark County Extension describes as being like a "pincushion." It prefers a full sun location. Miscanthus sinensis "Zebrinus" is an ornamental grass cultivar adapted to wet areas. It even grows in standing water, maturing to 8 feet high. The white spots on its leaf blades give zebra grass its name. Zebrinus features yellow bands on its green foliage.

USDA Zone 7 and 8

• Bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) is a North American native growing wild in the Eastern and middle part of the United States, It is appropriate for USDA zones 7 and 8. It develops to 3 feet with flower heads as long as 9 inches. The bristly flower heads bloom in September and October. They are the highlight of this species, reports the Missouri Botanical Garden. Deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens) is a Southwest native grass with high drought tolerance. It grows in all types of soils, except for those that are always damp. Deer grass grows to 6 feet, and its leaves turn a light-tan color in fall.

USDA Zones 9 and 10

• Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) is native to warm climates such as those of Southeast Asia and Africa. Rubrum is a cultivar growing between 3 and 5 feet in USDA zones 9 and 10 where it is warm enough to survive as a perennial plant. This grass has attractive burgundy leaves and flower heads, making it work as a specimen plant or along foundations. The grasslands of southern South America are home to pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana), a tall species of grass used for screens or specimen plants in large, open landscapes. Pampas grass grows between 8 and 12 feet and possesses silver-white plumes of flowers as long as 3 feet that often used in flower arrangements.