What Grass Grows in Dark Green Clumps?

Feather Grasses

• Some species and cultivars in the Calamagrostis genus have dark green, clumping foliage. Stricta feather reed grass (C. x acutiflora "Stricta") grows quickly from 2 to 4 feet tall and has lustrous, dark foliage. This finely textured grass prefers full fun to light shade and well-drained, rich soil. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9 and grows in a narrow, vertical clump. Korean feather Reed Grass (C. brachytricha) grows in a broad clump and reaches heights to 30 inches. This warm season grass has dark, arching foliage and produces pink fall plumes. It prefers partial shade and moist soil and is hardy in zones 5 to 9.

Tufted Hair Grasses

• Several types of tufted hair grass (Deschampsia caespitosa) have dark green, clumping foliage. Tufted hair grass is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 and grows to 3 feet tall. It thrives in moist soil but tolerates drought. It has fine, upright foliage and produces airy green and yellow inflorescences in late summer. The Schottland cultivar, also known as Scottish tufted hair grass, has very fine, dark green foliage and grows from 2 to 3 feet tall. It blooms with pale green inflorescences. The Goldschleier or Gold Veil cultivar has dark, fine foliage and is hardy in zones 4 to 7. This clumping grass grows from 1 to 2 feet tall and blooms with yellow inflorescences through much of the summer into fall.

Arching

• Some grasses grow in arching or even weeping clumps. These grasses tend to have a wider spread than vertically growing species, making them good choices for erosion control or ground cover. Weeping love grass (Eragrostis curvula) is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 9 and grows to 3 feet tall and wide. This clumping grass has fine, thread-like foliage and grows in weeping mounds. It produces light purple and gray inflorescences in midsummer. Weeping love grass grows well in a range of soils, from clay to sand, and prefers full sun. Prairie cord grass (Spartina pectinata) is hardy in zones 4 to 9 and grows from 4 to 6 feet tall. This medium to coarsely textured grass grows in large, arching clumps of dark green, lustrous foliage. It spreads quickly and produces upright inflorescences. Prairie cord grass thrives in sun to light shade and tolerates a variety of soils, including saline.

Upright

• Some deep-green grasses grow in a vertical form. These upright species make good choices for screening or edging. Shenandoah switch grass (Panicum virgatum "Shenandoah") has dark green leaves edged with purple. This cultivar grows from 2 to 3 feet tall and produces red-to-pink inflorescences. It has medium-textured foliage and grows in an upright clump. Switch grass is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9 and prefers sun to partial shade and moist to dry soil. Gulf muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaries) has deep green, lustrous foliage. It grows in upright clumps to 3 feet tall and blooms with pink, red, purple and gray inflorescences that mature to a light beige hue. Gulf muhly prefers full sun to light shade and well-drained to sandy soil. This drought-tolerant grass is hardy in zones 6 to 9.