High Altitude Ornamental Grasses

To 11,000 Feet

• Grasses that thrive to 11,000 feet include Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), a native species that grows to 18 inches tall. This cool-season grass has fine, narrow foliage and tolerates a range of soil types. Idaho fescue prefers lightly shaded sites. Another native species, June grass (Koeleria macrantha) grows in 12-inch clumps of green fronds. It blooms in early summer with white, butterfly-attracting inflorescences. June grass tolerates a range of soil types and shaded exposures.

To 10,000 Feet

• Two native grasses in the Festuca genus thrive at heights to 10,000 feet. Arizona fescue (F. arizonica) tolerates clay soil and grows best with regular irrigation. This blue-green, clumping grass has fine foliage and grows from 12 to 18 inches tall. Blue fescue (F. glauca) also grows to 18 inches tall and prefers regular irrigation. This evergreen grass thrives in sandy, well-draining soil and comes in a range of cultivars, from the powdery blue foliage of Elijah Blue to the compact, bright-blue fronds of Boulder Blue.

To 9,000 Feet

• The warm-season sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) grows up to 9,000 feet elevation. This native grass grows in clumps of gray foliage up to 30 inches tall. It tolerates clay to sand soil and produces asymmetrical seed heads. Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) grows to 30 inches tall and has semi-evergreen, blue foliage. This European native prefers sun to light shade and produces one-sided seed heads. Another blue grass, blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), grows up to 9,500 feet. This clumping native grass reaches heights to 18 inches and tolerates a variety of soils. It needs full sun exposures to thrive.

To 7,500 Feet

• Nezpar Indian rice grass (Achnatherum hymenoides) tolerates elevations up to 8,000 feet. A native, cool-season grass, the 2-foot-tall Nezpar has green, narrow fronds and produces panicles atop thin stems. It grows best in full sun and sandy, well-draining soil. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) also prefers sunny, sandy sites. This warm-season grass grows from 3 to 6 feet tall and has blue-green, upright foliage. It produces three-pronged seed heads in fall. Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ) grows to 3 feet tall and has blue-green foliage that turns orange-red in autumn. This drought-tolerant native grass grows well in clay and sun to light shade.