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Ornamental Grasses in Washington

Dancing in the breeze, tall ornamental grasses sway, creating swishing musical sounds. Some are crowned with feathery spikes of white flowers adding appealing texture. The diverse range of colors, forms and sizes of ornamental grasses make them useful in Washington landscapes as ground covers, border plants, privacy screens, pond edgings and specimen plants. The grasses come in subdued shades of green, gold, purple, brown, pink, blue, yellow and red. Ornamental grasses are low maintenance, showing tolerance to poor soil and rarely requiring extra water or fertilizer. The thick roots control erosion on slopes and in areas prone to flooding. The grass stalks and seed-head supply food and cover for insects, birds and wildlife. In Washington, ornamental grasses grow from six-inch ground-hugging tufts to varieties stretching to 15 feet.

  1. Three Choices for Tall Ornamental Grasses for Washington

    • Some grasses have feathery white heads.

      Several varieties of ornamental grasses are available in the seven foot and higher range. Goliath (Miscanthus sinensis) reaches seven feet tall with mahogany-colored flowers and blooms in August. Giant feather grass (Stipa gigantea) stretches to a showy seven feet in clumps with narrow gray-green leaves and airy white flowers. Ravenna grass (Saccharum ravennae) provides nine-foot stems and gray-green mounding foliage with feathery plumes. It turns reddish bronze in autumn.

    Three Choices for Medium-Height Ornamental Grasses for Washington Gardens

    • Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grows in a narrow column form to six feet. Its blue-green in summer and turns russet in the fall. Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora), commonly known as "Karl Foerster," also grows narrow and upright but only to four or five feet. It tolerates light shade and moist soil well, and displays soft white flowering at the head. Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis), "Kleine Fontaine," matures at five feet with silver flowers turning to pink.

    Three Choices for Short Ornamental Grasses for Washington Gardens

    • Green and white leaves adorn this grass.

      Variegated purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea) grows in stiff green and yellow leaves to 18 inches tall. It tolerates shade well and displays purple flowers. It is often referred to as Variegata. Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa), commonly called "Northern Lights," has pretty pink tips on top of green and white leaves. It grows in 12-inch clumps. Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica), commonly tagged as "Red Baron," has bright red, erect 18-inch leaves. It spreads slowly and grows in part shade.

    More Choices for Ornamental Grasses

    • There are approximately 100 varieties of grasses known as ornamental. Each micro-climate in Washington will have types that grow the best. Before choosing, consult with the county agricultural extension agent or an established local nursery. Their advice will lead to consistent success as it is tuned to the local environment.

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Landscaping Plants
  1. The Advantages of Ornamental Grasses
  2. Ornamental Grasses in Pennsylvania
  3. Ornamental Grasses Native to Wyoming
  4. Southern Ornamental Grass
  5. Southern Ornamental Grasses
  6. Annual Ornamental Grasses
  7. Northern Ornamental Grasses
  8. Popular Ornamental Grasses
  9. Spiral Ornamental Grasses
  10. Giant Ornamental Grasses
  11. Ornamental Grasses in the State of Washington
  12. California Ornamental Grasses

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