Helictotrichon–commonly called oat grass or blue oat grass–is an evergreen, tussock-forming perennial grass that produces fountain-like clumps of light green to bright blue-gray narrow leaves. Helictotrichon grows 2 to 3 feet (2m) tall with a graceful habit. Helictotrichon leaves are linear, flat, and ribbed or folded often with rolled margins. In early summer, Helictotrichon oblong, […] More
Hakonechloa–commonly called Japanese forest grass or Hakone grass–is a graceful, slender clump-forming perennial grass. It has arching stems that grow 18 inches 945cm) tall or more. A species called ‘Aureola’ is commonly grown; its leaves are bright yellow with narrow green stripes. There is a solid green species that is less often grown. Hakonechloa has […] More
Deschampsia —commonly called hair grass–is an ornamental clumping grass with narrow, rough leaves that are often topped by airy clouds of yellowish flower panicles in late spring or early summer. Deschampsia leaves are thread-like and linear. They are suited for mixed, herbaceous, shrub borders. They can be used in mass plantings. Deschampsia is best suited for cool-summer […] More
Festuca — often called fescue–is a large genus of deciduous or evergreen, rhizomatous, and often tufted perennial grasses. Many are turf or pasture grasses. A few are ornamental species grown for strappy, grasslike foliage and sometimes flowers. Fescues are usually blue-green or blue-gray. The lance-shaped leaves are flat, folded, or rolled. Inflorescences are dense or loosely branched […] More
Cortaderia — commonly called Pampas grass — is a fast-growing ornamental grass that has a fountain-like form growing in dense tussocks. It can grow to 20 feet (6m) tall, as much as 8 feet in one season. Cortaderia has arching, narrow, and arching saw-toothed leaves. It bears long white to chamois or pink flower plumes in late summer. The […] More
Chasmanthium — commonly called wild oats, wood oats, or bamboo grass — is an ornamental clump-forming grass. Its broad, bamboo-like leaves are topped by arching flowering stems. The flowers are silvery green spikelets that resemble flattened clusters of oats. Chasmanthium is a good choice for growing in a mixed or herbaceous border or in a woodland garden. […] More
Carex — commonly called Sedge — are grasslike perennials most often grown for their colorful, often variegated foliage. Sedges are different from grasses in that they have solid, triangular stems, and the sheaths of the leaves, which are borne in threes, completely encircle the stems. Carex usually bears flowers in dense heads or spikes arising from the axils […] More
Calamagrostis — commonly called feather reed grass–is one of the most handsome ornamental grasses. It has linear, flat, or channeled leaves and dense inflorescences borne in branching panicles. The erect, somewhat arching clumps of narrow, bright leaves grow from 1.5 to 4 feet tall. Calamagrostis upright flowering stems remain upright until the first snow or freeze. The […] More
A number of members of the Grass Family are useful in landscaping and in the herbaceous border because of their distinctively decorative foliage and the pleasingly varied forms and soft colors of their spikes or plume-like flower clusters. Most of the annual forms of ornamental grasses and many of the perennials are also valuable for […] More
Stephen Albert