Home Garden
# Home & Garden >> Plants, Flowers & Herbs >> Outdoor Growing

Decorative Grasses That Thrive in the Shade

Most ornamental grasses prefer a sunny site with well-drained soil because of their origins as meadow plants. The grasses that do well in shade often need a moist site because they commonly grow along streams and ponds. Grasses that grow in shade look different from their sun-loving cousins. Instead of the tall, plumed, fountain-shaped grasses used in sunny borders, shade grasses are short and often have soft, fine foliage.

  1. Japanese Forest Grass

    • As its name suggests, Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa spp.) needs a shady or partly shady site. It forms a large, airy clump about 3 feet tall and wide and moves gracefully in the wind. Hakonechloa macra “Aureola” is the most common variety, producing mounds of yellow blades striped with dark green and pink. Beni Kaze has red tints; Fubuki is a smaller version, with green and white foliage; and All Gold adds a splash of bright yellow to the shade.

    Carex

    • The Carex genus includes both evergreen and deciduous grasses and both sun and shade lovers. Carex caryophyllea “The Beatles” and “Beatlemania” are finely-textured green grasses; C. muskingumensis grows to 2 feet tall and resembles miniature bamboo; and C. morrowii, C. hachijoensis “Evergold” and C. oshimensis have wider blades with gold or white stripes.

    Mondo Grass

    • While not a true grass, Mondo grass (Ophiopogon spp.) has narrow leaves like a grass and is used as one in shady plantings. Black mondo grass is one of the few plants that truly looks black, a remarkable color for contrasting with silver or gold. Mondo grass also comes in dwarf dark green or variegated varieties that form a mat-like groundcover in moist, shady spots.

    Lilyturf

    • Lilyturf (Liriope spp.), so-called because it is member of the lily family but resembles and is used as a grass in shady areas, grows about 8 inches tall and spreads to form a grasslike groundcover. Its flowers are clusters of tiny lavender blooms atop short stalks. Liriope comes in dark green and variegated green and white varieties. It prefers a moist site.

Previous:

Next:

Outdoor Growing
  1. Grasses That Tolerate Shade
  2. Tall Grasses That Will Thrive in Florida
  3. The Greenest Grasses
  4. Tall Grass That Tolerates Dry Shade
  5. Sod That Grows in Shade
  6. Grass Seed That Grows in the Shade
  7. Grass That Thrives in Shade
  8. Deer-Resistant Decorative Grasses
  9. Grass Blend That Grows in the Sun & Shade
  10. Centipede Grass in the Shade
  11. Grasses That Grow in Full Shade
  12. The Shade Tolerance of Zoysia Grass

Home Garden © https://www.98905.com