Low-maintenance and versatile, ornamental grass is a great way to add color, movement and seasonal interest to your yard.
Top 10 Types of Ornamental Grass for Your Yard
Updated on Sep. 27, 2024
Dwarf Pampas Grass
Cortaderia selloana ‘Pumila’, Zones 5 to 10
Come September, this 4-foot-tall ornamental grass produces fluffy, creamy silver-white plumes that make a statement at the back of borders. The flower heads then attract birds all winter long. Pampas grass is invasive in some states, so check before planting.
Why we love it: Both hardy and low-maintenance, this grass’s cuttings look great in floral arrangements.
Black Mondo Grass
Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, Zones 6 to 9
Add some drama with this dark purple-black grasslike perennial, which makes a bold border or ground cover. Arching mounded clumps produce pinkish white flowers in the summer and berries in the fall. This drought-tolerant, deer-resistant evergreen reaches 8 to 12 inches tall. It thrives in full sun and moist, well-draining soil.
Why we love it: Light foot traffic won’t bother this plant.
Northern Sea Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium, Zones 4 to 9
Growing 3 to 4 feet tall, this native grass is known for its mass of hanging green seed heads that turn tan, then purplish. Sometimes called river oats, it does well in part shade or full sun in moist soil. Because northern sea oats tends to spread, it works best when planted in pots or in landscapes with plenty of room.
Why we love it: The seed heads produced by this low-maintenance grass can add whimsy to floral arrangements.
Pink Muhly Ornamental Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris, Zones 5 to 9
For gardens with less-than-ideal soil, this graceful perennial ornamental grass delivers weeks of fall color. Branched blue-green foliage reaches 2 to 4 feet tall and does well as an edging or container plant. While this native grass tolerates part shade, you’ll get the most vibrant color in full sun.
Why we love it: Birds love the large seed heads that remain after the fluffy pink and purple panicles fade.
Mexican Feather Ornamental Grass
Nassella tenuissima, Zones 7 to 10
With late-summer tan blooms sitting atop delicate foliage, Mexican feather grass is a great choice for hot, dry gardens with plenty of sun. It’s tolerant of many soils and is native to Texas and New Mexico, but it is invasive in California.
Why we love it: Give it a starring role in pots or in large swaths of hilly or sloped landscapes.
Elijah Blue Fescue
Festuca glauca, Zones 4 to 8
Small but mighty, this 1-foot-tall grass features gorgeous powder-blue foliage in neat mounds. Requiring full sun or part shade in well-draining soil, it blossoms in early summer, but you’ll be able to enjoy this drought-tolerant variety’s bold color all year.
Why we love it: The unusual, cold-hardy blue stems look fabulous in container plantings or in masses.
Zebra Ornamental Grass
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’, Zones 5 to 9
The name says it all: Each zebra grass leaf sports multiple light yellow horizontal stripes, which give this tall upright variety a showstopping presence. At 5-foot-tall (or more!), it’ll need room for its rounded, arching mound in full sun and moist, well-draining soil. Be sure to plant it where you can enjoy it all winter.
Why we love it: Rabbits and deer tend to leave it alone, and it is resistant to drought.
Graceful Grasses Fiber Optic Grass
Isolepis (scirpus) cernua, Zones 8 to 10, annual elsewhere
A compact, bright green, grasslike sedge that grows up to a foot tall, put Graceful Grasses in pots, or plant as a filler in beds and borders. Beginning in early summer, it produces tiny, fuzzy white flowers.
Why we love it: Bring it indoors before the first frost and grow it as a houseplant.
Prairie Winds Desert Plains Fountain Ornamental Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides, Zones 5 To 9
This variety stuns in a fall garden. It grows 3 to 4 feet tall in full sun. Its fluffy bottlebrush-shaped plumes start as an impressive smoky purple color in early summer and age into a shade of tan in the fall.
Why we love it: Because Desert Plains changes color through the months, it provides ongoing interest.
Creeping Lilyturf
Liriope spicata, Zones 4 to 10
Though technically not a grass, this plant’s grasslike foliage makes it a good drought-tolerant ground cover. It spreads via rhizomes and is invasive in some states, so verify beforehand if it is a good pick for your area and plant in a bed with hardscaping to keep it confined.
Why we love it: Blue-black berries appear in fall, a treat for hungry birds.
Other Ornamental Grass Options
- Aureola golden variegated hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra)
- Beyond Blue festuca (Festuca glauca ‘Casca11’)
- Purple Majesty millet (Pennisetum glaucum)
- Purple moor grass (Molinia caerulia)
Backyard tip: Create a carefree focal point that doubles as soft edging by filling a wide area along a walkway or driveway with rows of ornamental grasses that will sway in the breeze. Apply a thick layer of mulch between clumps until they mature.
Sources
- Proven Winners
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Walters Gardens
- Nature Hills Nursery
- Budd Gardens
