Add grasses as focal points to the fall and winter landscape.
Ornamental grasses add beauty to the landscape in every season: colorful leaf color in the spring and summer, flower and seed head interest in the summer and fall, and structure and visual interest in the winter. When choosing a grass, always consider cold hardiness, mature size and planting location. All the grasses listed are cold hardy to Zone 4 (-25 to -30 degrees F).
Large Grasses: 5 to 10 feet tall
Giant Miscanthus, Miscanthus floridulus, is a large clumping grass that grows 8 to 10 feet tall with huge leaves. It prefers a sunny location and can tolerate wet conditions.
Silver Feather Miscanthus, Miscanthus sinensis Siberfedher, grows 6 to 8 feet tall with large silvery plumes in the late summer. Its seed heads and leaves turn an attractive tan color in the winter.
Red Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum Haense Herms, is one of the Switchgrass cultivars that stays in the 5-foot range. It has attractive red-tinged leaves and red flowers.
Medium Grasses: 2 to 5 feet tall
Mass one or more types of grasses for a dramatic effect.
Red Flame Miscanthus, Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens, is a cold-hardy cultivar that is known for its outstanding orange fall color. It grows 4 to 5 feet tall.
Feather Reed Grass, Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl Foerster, is a 4-foot tall upright grass that is an excellent vertical accent in a mixed bed. Its pink blooms appear in July.
Blue Oatgrass, Helictotrichon sempervirens, is a colorful 2- to 3-foot blue mounding grass that complements many purple and red-leaved shrubs and flowers.
Small Grasses: 1 to 2 feet tall
Use yellow and blue grasses as accents in perennial and shrub beds.
Yellow Sedge, Carex flava, has yellow leaves and grows to about 24 inches tall. It can tolerate very wet soils and requires a shady location. There are a wide variety of Sedges suitable for northern gardens.
Dwarf Blue Fescues, Festuca sp., have a range of blue colors and stay in the 8- to 14-inch height range. They are attractive all year but tend to be short-lived and need to be replaced after a few years. They are a good choice for the front of beds and along walks where there is full sun.
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