Ornamental Grasses

Uses:

  • Garden Borders & Edges
  • Add Vertical Interest
  • Groundcover
  • Container Gardens

Features:

  • Drought & Heat Tolerant
  • Deer & Rabbit Resistant
  • Low Maintenance & Adaptable
  • No Fertilizer or Pesticide Needed

Sunlight:

  • Mostly Full Sun
  • Sunlight Conditions Depend on Type

Benefits:

  • Prevents Erosion
  • Habitat for Wildlife
  • Adds Movement in the Wind
  • Four-Season Interest

Ornamental grasses are a great addition to any landscape. The plants are low maintenance and provide year-round interest. Several types are available, ranging in size, color, and shape. Short sedge grass works well as a groundcover or in flower pots, whereas tall maiden grass provides height to a landscape and can be used as a privacy screen. There is an ornamental grass for every application and several colors to choose from including pink, red, blue, and purple.

Ornamental Grasses 61 to 90 of 166 total

  • Red Flame Switch Grass

    (1)

    Growing Zones: 4 to 8

    Red Flame Switch Grass

    $38.99 - $53.99
  • True Native Plant
    Healthy Sideoats Grama

    (1)

    Growing Zones: 4 to 9

    American Beauties Native Plants

    Sideoats Grama

    $51.49
  • Graceful Grasses Blue Mohawk Soft Rush Grass in Garden Planter

    (3)

    Growing Zones: 5 to 9

    Proven Winners

    Graceful Grasses® Blue Mohawk® Soft Rush

    $29.99
  • Ha Ha Tonka Little Bluestem growing in the garden
    Growing Zones: 5 to 10

    Ha Ha Tonka Little Bluestem

    $49.99
  • Little Bluestem Beard Grass Close Up leaves

    (1)

    Growing Zones: 3 to 9

    Little Bluestem Beard Grass

    $44.99
    $39.49
  • Lucerne Blue-Eyed Grass Flowering
    Growing Zones: 5 to 8

    American Beauties Native Plants

    Lucerne Blue-Eyed Grass

    $38.49
  • Evergold Sedge with Variegated Foliage

    (2)

    Growing Zones: 5 to 10

    Proven Selections

    Evergold Sedge

    $29.99 - $38.49
  • Silver Sceptre Sedge Grass Variegated Foliage
    Growing Zones: 5 to 8

    Silver Sceptre Sedge Grass

    $38.49
  • Bowles Golden Gold Sedge with Bright Green Foliage
    Growing Zones: 5 to 8

    Proven Selections

    Bowles Golden Gold Sedge

    $29.99
  • New For 2025
    Fire Dragon Red Maiden Grass

    (1)

    Growing Zones: 4 to 9

    Fire Dragon Maiden Grass

    $37.49 - $74.99
  • Purple Fountain Grass Blades

    (2)

    Growing Zones: 9 to 11

    Plant Addicts

    Purple Fountain Grass

    $35.49 - $72.49
  • New For 2025
    Little Kitten Maiden Grass
    Growing Zones: 5 to 9

    Little Kitten Maiden Grass

    $38.49 - $67.99
  • Purple Tears Switch Grass
    Growing Zones: 4 to 10

    Purple Tears Switch Grass

    $48.49
  • Bandwidth Japanese Silver Grass
    Growing Zones: 5 to 10

    WorryFree

    Bandwidth Maiden Grass

    $29.99 - $49.49
  • Healthy EverColor Eversheen Carex
    Growing Zones: 5 to 9

    Southern Living Plants

    EverColor Eversheen Carex

    $38.49
  • Graceful Grasses® Curly Wurly Corkscrew Rush Growing

    (1)

    Growing Zones: 5 to 9

    Proven Winners

    Graceful Grasses® Curly Wurly Corkscrew Rush

    $29.99
  • True Native Plant
    Healthy Creek Sedge Grass
    Growing Zones: 3 to 9

    Creek Sedge Grass

    $38.99
  • Ice Dance Variegated Japanese Sedge Grass Growing in the Garden

    (1)

    Growing Zones: 5 to 8

    Ice Dance Variegated Japanese Sedge Grass

    $38.49
  • Bunny Blue™ Sedge Grass Growing in the Garden
    Growing Zones: 5 to 9

    Bunny Blue™ Sedge Grass

    $38.49
  • Seersucker Sedge Grass Leaves
    Growing Zones: 4 to 8

    Seersucker Sedge Grass

    $40.49
  • Blue Lyme Grass foliage

    (1)

    Growing Zones: 4 to 9

    Blue Lyme Grass

    $40.49
  • True Native Plant
    Healthy Purple Lovegrass
    Growing Zones: 2 to 8

    Purple Lovegrass

    $40.49
  • Maires Heather Blooming
    Growing Zones: 4 to 8

    Maires Heather

    $43.49
  • Blue Heaven® Bluestem Grass on the Ground
    Growing Zones: 3 to 8

    Blue Heaven® Bluestem Grass

    $49.99
  • Avalanche Feather Reed Grass Foliage Growing
    Growing Zones: 4 to 8

    Avalanche Feather Reed Grass

    $49.99
  • Common Blue Grama Grass in the Sunlight
    Growing Zones: 3 to 10

    Common Blue Grama Grass

    $38.49
  • Monroe's White Lilyturf in White Pot
    Growing Zones: 5 to 11

    Monroe's White Lilyturf

    $35.99
  • Dancing Wind Big Bluestem Close-Up Leaves
    Growing Zones: 4 to 9

    Dancing Wind Big Bluestem

    $40.49
  • Healthy Scout Maiden Grass
    Growing Zones: 5 to 10

    Scout Maiden Grass

    $49.99
  • Blackhawks Big Bluestem Grass Close-Up Leaves
    Growing Zones: 4 to 8

    Plants That Work

    Blackhawks Big Bluestem Grass

    $38.49
Ornamental Grasses 61 to 90 of 166 total

Why Buy Ornamental Grass Online?

When xeriscaping, you can add plenty of interest with varied textures and heights by including a few ornamental grasses in your landscape. We’re always tempted to think first about flower color, but less about interesting foliage. Placing a few ornamental grasses in a xeric landscape or container can add nearly as much impact as a pop of purple with less watering and maintenance.

Choose an ornamental grass that is native to your area, or a similar climate or condition, in place of a shrub or perennial flower. One of our favorite features of grasses is that they can grow tall and move in the wind. In containers, they often add height or contrast to draping and flowering annuals. Warm-season grasses seed out and provide winter interest, even if the foliage browns. If you choose one that’s not native to your area make sure it can at least survive with less water or other conditions that differ.

About Ornamental Grasses

Mexican Feather Grass
Genus
Carex, Calamagrostis, Pennisetum, Miscanthus, Hakonechloa, Schizachyrium, and many others
Species
2000+
Family
Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Juncaceae

Common Names:

Sedge, Rush, Reed Grass, Maiden Grass, Egyptian Papyrus, Fountain Grass, Bluestem, Switch Grass, Fescue, Lilyturf


Native To:

Worldwide

Plant Type:

Ornamental Grasses

Foliage Type:

Herbaceous

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:

3 - 10

Flower Color:

Tan, Green, Yellow, Pink, Silver

Flower Bloom Time:

Spring, Summer

Growth Habit:

Clumping, Spreading

Attracts:

Butterflies, Small Mammals, Songbirds

Tolerates

Drought, Heat, Humidity, Poor soil

Resists:

Deer, Disease, Pests

How To Use Ornamental Grasses In The Garden

These graceful plants supply interesting textures all year and ask for little more than a trim in late winter. Many transition through alluring color phases, moving from soft greens to rich golds, delivering a dynamic presence as the seasons progress. Their sturdy nature and deep roots deter pests and thrive through dry spells, easing up on maintenance duties. Plus, ornamental grasses can create welcoming habitat for birds and beneficial insects.

Place taller varieties as natural partitions for privacy, or let them flow en masse to simulate a gentle meadow effect. Employ their slender, vertical lines to visually connect different areas of a garden, or nestle shorter kinds near stones and companion perennials for a pleasing tapestry. Used as groundcover, grasses can stabilize soil and reduce erosion. In small spaces, pots offer a simple way to adorn patios and doorways with soft arches and feathery seed heads.

Types of Ornamental Grasses

Type Scientific Name Native Foliage Flowers Uses Features
Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii Central & Eastern North America Blue-green turning maroon-tan in fall (4-8 ft) Purplish-red “turkey-foot” spikes Prairie/restoration, screens, large accents Drought & deer resistant; wildlife/host plant; winter color
Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium Most of U.S. & N. Mexico Blue-green clumps, copper-red in fall/winter Purplish-bronze racemes Dry meadows, rain & rock gardens, naturalizing High drought tolerance; fluffy winter seed; skipper host; bird seed
Switchgrass Panicum virgatum North American Tallgrass Prairie Medium-green aging to yellow-orange (3-6 ft) Airy pink-tinged panicles Naturalize, rain gardens, erosion control, prairie Handles wet or dry; bird cover/seed; strong winter interest
Maiden (Chinese Silver) Grass Miscanthus sinensis Eastern Asia Arching green or variegated leaves, gold-tan in fall (4-9 ft) Pink-to-red feathery plumes Specimens, meadows, dried bouquets Showy plumes, winter presence, heat/ drought tolerant
Fountain Grass Pennisetum alopecuroides East Asia Deep green blades, bronze-gold fall (2-4 ft) Bottle-brush purple-tan spikes Borders, massing, large pots Soft motion, deer & drought resistant, three-season color
Papyrus (Paper Reed) Cyperus papyrus Tropical Africa & Nile basin Tall triangular stems with umbrella-like tufts, evergreen (4-9 ft) Green-brown clusters on ray tips Water gardens, ponds, dramatic containers Thrives in standing water; bold texture; historic utility
Japanese Forest Grass Hakonechloa macra Central Japan Bright-green or gold/variegated, red-pinkish in fall (1-1.5 ft) Fine yellow-green sprays Shade groundcover, path/rock edge, containers Shade-loving, deer tolerant, bamboo-like form, subtle fall color
Creeping Liriope Liriope spicata China & Vietnam Narrow evergreen blades, spreads by rhizomes (9-15 in) Pale lavender-white spikes Groundcover, slope/erosion, under trees Evergreen, tough, drought/rabbit/deer resistant
Big Blue Liriope Liriope muscari China, Taiwan, Japan Strap-like evergreen tufts (12-18 in) Showy violet-purple wands Edging, small groundcover, pots Heat/humidity tolerant; winter berries; slower spread than L. spicata
Sedge Carex spp. Worldwide; many N. American natives Fine to broad blades, many in shades of green, blue, bronze or variegated Small green/brown spikelets Shade or sun groundcovers, rain gardens, bioswales, lawn alternative Deer-resistant; thrive in wet or dry soils; excellent erosion control; host > 30 butterfly species

Ornamental Grass Care

Ornamental grasses should be planted in well-draining soil, as they prefer not to sit in waterlogged conditions. While they are drought-tolerant once established, regular watering during the first growing season helps develop a strong root system. These grasses thrive in full sun but can tolerate partial shade. Fertilization is generally unnecessary; however, if growth appears sluggish, a light application of balanced fertilizer in early spring can be beneficial.

Pruning ornamental grasses involves cutting back the foliage to a few inches above the ground in late winter or early spring before new growth emerges. In colder climates, leaving the foliage intact over winter provides insulation and visual interest; prune in early spring instead. When growing in containers, select a pot with adequate drainage and choose a compact variety suitable for confined spaces. Regular watering is essential for container-grown grasses, as they dry out faster than those in the ground.

Learn More About Ornamental Grass Care

Burgundy Bunny Fountain Grass

Ornamental Grass Companion Plants

Pair ornamental grasses with perennials and shrubs that thrive in similar conditions—full sun and well-drained soil. These grasses add height and texture while enhancing fall foliage. Great companion plants include butterfly bush, false cypress, Japanese maples, coral bells, phlox, coneflower, and alyssum. For a cohesive look, choose color combinations that set the desired mood or theme. Perfect for garden beds or patio planters!

Ornamental Grasses Questions?