Kinds of Grass Plants and Things Made Out of It

Arrangements

• Many ornamental grass varieties work well as fresh components in floral arrangements. The University of Vermont recommends grasses from the Pennisetum genus. These include fountain grass (P. alopecuroides), which grows from 2 to 4 feet tall and produces a dense, cylinder-shaped, white-to-purple flower head in midsummer. This grass has arching, green foliage and often shatters before winter, so harvest before the weather turns too cold. Oriental fountain grass (P. orientale) grows from 1 to 2 feet tall and blooms from summer through fall with fluffy white and pink plumes. It has attractive gray-green foliage and lies dormant in winter. Purple fountain grass (P. setaceum) grows as an annual and has reddish purple foliage. It produces a pink-to-purple inflorescence from summer through autumn that dries well. Purple fountain grass grows from 3 to 4 feet tall.

Ikebana

• The art of ikebana is more than 600 years old. This ancient practice uses certain plant materials to create specialized living sculptures that were first used to honor deities or ancestral spirits. As the practice evolved, it lost much of its religious overtones and now is generally associated with annual festivals. Ikebana practitioners use sasa or nagasa bamboo (Sasa veitchii) as a material in these arrangements. This grass is grown for its wide, dark green foliage that develops creamy white margins with maturity. Sasa grows from 32 to 60 inches tall and spreads quickly.

Wreaths and Swags

• Several grass varieties can be dried and used to create wreaths and swags. The Alabama Cooperative Extension recommends air-drying grasses by hanging them upside down in a warm, dry room with good air circulation. After the grasses have dried for one to three weeks, spray their seed heads or plumes with a light application of hair spray to secure them in place. Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) is an appropriate choice for air-dried projects. This grass grows from 6 to 10 feet tall and produces very large, silvery-white plumes with a pink tint. These long-lasting plumes dry well. Cultivars include Ivory Feathers, which produces pure white plumes; Rendatleri, which produces large, purple-pink plumes; and Sun Stripe, which has silver foliage and plumes.

Dried Bouquets

• A mix of grasses creates dried bouquets full of color and texture. For the most attractive dried specimens, the University of Nebraska Lincoln recommends harvesting grasses when seedheads are ripe and foliage is still green. Appropriate choices include Indian grass (Sorphaatum nutans), which grows from 5 to 7 feet tall and has narrow, green foliage that turns yellow to orange in fall. This grass produces bronze flowers that narrow and turn brown when dried. Ravenna grass (Saccharum ravennae) grows to 14 feet tall and has upright, gray-green stems. It produces large pink, silver and red plumes in late summer.