Loudoun County Master Gardeners

Ornamental Grasses                                                                                                           Back

Ornamental grasses are low maintenance, drought resistant and bring year-round color, texture and form to the landscape.  This year the grass bed is undergoing a reformation to demonstrate the many different varieties of ornamental grass and sedge the homeowner can grow in their garden.  Cool season to warm season grasses add color and interest all season, including the winter when the masses bend and twist in the winter wind.  Click to see the Ornamental Grass garden layout we have at Ida Lee: Grass Bed flyer

Plants in the Ornamental Grasses Garden include:

Carnation Grass Festica Blue Boulder Grass Golden Hakone
Creeping Broadleaf Sedge Feather Reed Grass Zebra Grass
Japanese Blood Grass Dwarf Fountain Grass Tufted Sedge
Morning Light Miscanthus Dwarf Zebra Grass Silver Spike
Native Purple Muhly Native Switch Grass Native Little Bluestem
Mexican Feather New Zealand Flax Ruby Grass

Late October Shots below

Warm Season Grasses

Cool Season Grasses

Prefer 80 – 95 degrees F

Grows well above freezing (32 to 75 degrees F)

Breaks dormancy in late spring

Begins growth in late winter

Slow growth until summer

Dormant during hot summer (leave alone…)

Prune in late winter or very early spring

Prune late winter or very early spring

Divide at first signs of growth and well before blooming

Divide late winter/early spring or late summer/early autumn

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