Not so long ago, the only grasses commonly seen on lawns were those that made up the lawn itself. But today, ornamental grasses are all the rage. They can be found in professional and amateur landscaping projects of all kinds and have become highly desirable plants. Perhaps your yard would also benefit from the addition of a few of these beautiful plants?
What Is a Grass?
From a botanical point of view, a grass is a plant belonging to the Poaceae family. They have thin, cylindrical stems with nodes and narrow leaves with parallel veins that sheathe the stem at its base. The flowers are small and clustered, usually forming a slender spike or feathery panicle. “Useful” grasses are well known: in addition to lawn grasses, cereals (wheat, barley, rye, etc.) are grasses. Agricultural fields are full of forage grasses, and wild meadows are largely composed of grasses.
Grasses can be divided into two main categories: clump-forming grasses that remain firmly in place (although the clump may become very large over time and require division) and rhizomatous grasses that tend to be invasive. In this article, I will focus on ornamental clump-forming grasses.
So much for botany. From a gardener’s point of view, however, any other plant that looks like a grass is called a grass. Plants in the families Cyperaceae (sedges [Carex], bulrushes, etc.), Juncaceae (rushes, woodrushes, etc.), Typhaceae (cattails) and other families are treated as grasses.
Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora)
This hybrid grass is very popular with landscape architects who admire its perfect linearity. From a tuft of very narrow leaves, perfectly upright stems rise up, topped with narrow spikes that are green at first, then turn beige, creating an interesting columnar effect that is useful in summer hedges and as a backdrop… or in narrow flower beds. It reaches a height of about 1.5 to 2 m (5.2 to 6.6 ft) and its stems and plumes generally remain upright in winter. It prefers moist soil and full sun, but tolerates drier locations and partial shade. The plant should be cut back in spring to remove old leaves, but this is the only maintenance required. Propagation by division (easy to do). Zone 3.
The most common cultivar is ‘Karl Foerster’, with green foliage, but variegated cultivars such as ‘Overdam’ and ‘Avalanche’ are also quite common.
Blue Oat Grass (Helectotrichon sempervirens)
This grass is striking for the bluish color of its narrow leaves, which form a very symmetrical dome. The very fine flower spikes are not very noticeable in this species: they are silvery at first, then beige, but it is the rounded habit and blue foliage that really catch the eye. The leaves are evergreen, so they look good all year round, meaning there is no need to prune this plant. The foliage reaches a height of around 50-60 cm (This grass is striking for the bluish color of its narrow leaves, which form a very symmetrical dome. The very fine flower spikes are not very noticeable in this species: they are silvery at first, then beige, but it is the rounded habit and blue foliage that really catch the eye. The leaves are evergreen, so they look good all year round, meaning there is no need to prune this plant. The foliage reaches a height of around 50-60 cm (20-24″), with the spikes slightly taller.
Blue oats prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Tolerant of salt spray, they can be planted along roadsides or by the sea. They can be propagated by seed or division. Zone 3., with the spikes slightly taller.
Blue oats prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Tolerant of salt spray, they can be planted along roadsides or by the sea. They can be propagated by seed or division. Zone 3.
Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’)
This grass is not hardy in our regions: it must be grown as an annual or brought indoors in the fall, but this does not detract from its beauty. Its ribbon-like, arched leaves are dark purple, and in mid-summer it produces feathery, arched spikes shaped like fox tails. The spikes are pink at first, then turn silvery and sway beautifully in the wind. Red pennisetum grows to around 90 cm tall (sometimes a little more) and prefers full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. It can be grown in pots, which makes it easy to bring indoors at the end of the season.
There are also variegated varieties of silky pennisetum, including ‘Skyrocket’, with green and white foliage and no red at all.
Great Wood-Rush (Luzula sylvatica)
Most grasses require a fair amount of sun, but a few tolerate shade very well. This is the case with woodrush, which grows best in shade and partial shade. It grows beautifully even in areas where tree roots are very dense and shallow. It is actually a false grass, not related to the Poaceae family, but to the Juncaceae family. It is a low-growing ground cover plant with foliage that is generally evergreen in our regions (although it may turn brown if there is no snow in winter). The brown flowers are inconspicuous: it is mainly grown for its evergreen foliage. Plant this low-growing plant (30-45 cm, 12-18″) about 40 cm (16″) apart if you want to create a carpet effect or 60 cm (24″) apart if you want the individual plants to stand out. Any well-drained soil is suitable. Zone 3.
There you have it! A few wonderful grasses to discover. Try these or other ornamental grasses to create a beautiful effect in your landscape almost all year round!
Larry Hodgson has published thousands of articles and 65 books in French and English during his career. His son, Mathieu, has made it his mission to make his father’s writings accessible to the public. The text was originally published in Le Soleil on May 26, 2005.
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