12 New Ornamental Grasses For Low Maintenance Garden Appeal [slideshow]
Nothing says low maintenance like ornamental grasses. They add texture, movement, and all-season color to the garden. Many of the ornamental grasses available are native to North America and provide habitat, food sources, and protection for pollinators and other wildlife. They are versatile enough to tolerate several types of soil conditions and garden locations, which is why they are so great for troublesome areas with rocky soils, slopes, poor drainage, or too much sun or shade. Once established, they are some of the best drought-tolerant plants around. When you add in sedges, rushes, and other grass-like relatives, there are no limits to what you can do with this class of plants in the garden.
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Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Ginger Love’ (Aris Greenleaf Plants)
The dark-red plumes of ‘Ginger Love’ begin early in summer compared to other pennisetum. Flowers are held neatly above a fountain of green, glossy foliage. Bred by Intrinsic Perennials, these mature plants develop into stately landscape plants at 38 to 40 inches tall by 44 to 46 inches wide. They are hardy to USDA Zone 5 and available in 2016.
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Andropogon gerardii ‘Blackhawks’ (Emerald Coast Growers)
‘Blackhawks’ features new, bright-green blades and stems that quickly turn rich purple for a striking, blended, bicolor display. Its foliage height is 18 to 24 inches, and its height in flower is 5 to 7 feet. ‘Blackhawks’ is hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
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Andropogon gerardii ‘Karl’s Cousin’ (Ag3, Inc.)
‘Karl’s Cousin’ is the Calamagrostis `Karl Forster’ of the bluestems and was selected by Dave MacKenzie of Hortech for its tight, upright, architectural habit. It was introduced along with ‘Little Arrow,', which shares these features. First richly blue-green, its stems, leaves, and flowers turn rich shades of purple-blue as the season progresses. And, like `Karl Foerster,’ ‘Karl’s Cousin’ is an easy companion to other plants because it does not steal their space. Such popular perennials as Nepeta, Shasta daisies, Liatris, Coreopsis, and asters all coexist with and complement this unique, upright grower that is hardy to Zone 4 and grows 4 to 5 feet tall.
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Carex ‘Feather Falls’ (Pacific Plug and Liner)
‘Feather Falls’ is a vigorous, super-sized carex that will work in almost any landscape condition, whether cold or hot. It proves its toughness in the summer months by tolerating full sun conditions without burning, and it also thrives in shady conditions. ‘Feather Falls’ is hardy in Zones 5 to 9. It grows 12 to 18 inches high by 18 to 24 inches wide.
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Carex pensylvanica ‘Straw Hat’ (Intrinsic Perennial Gardens)
This rhizomatous and vegetative form of pensylvanica sedge has a vigorous habit. It also has more substantial flower clusters than the species with reliable heavy spring bloom in April to May. It makes a good groundcover for dry shade, and it also tolerates full sun with irrigation. Part shade is best. The bright-green foliage reaches only 5 to 6 inches.
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Cyperus papyrus 'Graceful Grasses Prince Tut' (Proven Winners)
Prince Tut is perfectly sized, intermediate in height between King Tut and Baby Tut. The showy, green flower heads are up to a foot in width on a plant that is heat tolerant and water loving. Plants will reach a total height of 30 to 48 inches, with a 24- to 36-inch spread. They grow well in full sun.
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Festuca glauca ‘Blue Whiskers’ (Walters Gardens)
‘Blue Whiskers’ is a new take on a popular ornamental grass. Compared to the classic variety ‘Elijah Blue,’ it is a taller, more vigorous variety, with longer leaves and a brighter blue foliage color. Plants form a fully rounded, robust clump with consistent flower coverage across the habit.
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Lomandra ‘Platinum Beauty’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
This tough, low maintenance, perennial grass, hardy to Zone 8, is drought tolerant and evergreen. It is a new, grey/blue and white variegated grass that has long, green, graceful leaves that sport thin white striping. It grows to 3 feet by 3 feet in the landscape.
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Miscanthus ‘Little Miss’ (PlantHaven)
‘Little Miss’ is a unique, compact selection which is 2 to 3 feet in height. It has an attractive long season of landscape interest. Graceful arching foliage emerges green in spring, coloring from early May through summer into striking carmine and purple tones in October and November (European Fall). Centers of the clumps stay a fresh green, giving plants an attractive two-tone effect.
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Panicum ‘Hot Rod’ (PlantHaven)
‘Hot Rod’ colors earlier in the season than other selections. Blades emerge blue-green and rapidly the whole plant turns a deep rich maroon. Bloom time is mid to late summer, and panicles persist through winter. Plants have very upright habits.
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Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Little Arrow’ (Ag3, Inc.)
Like ‘Karl’s Cousin’ big bluestem, this native grass was discovered by Dave MacKenzie of Hortech, Inc., who selected it for its tight, very upright growing architectural qualities. Its foliage is at first green-bronze and progressively turns to rich bronze throughout the growing season. ‘Little Arrow’ is easy to pair with other plants as it doesn’t steal their space, and companions that look terrific with it include Allium `Summer Beauty,’ coneflowers, campanulas, Coreopsis `Jethro Tull,’ purple-leaved heucheras, and prairie dropseed.
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Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Prairie Winds Blue Paradise’ (Walters Gardens)
New to the Proven Winners perennials lineup, Blue Paradise is a beautiful ornamental grass that forms a very upright and columnar habit, which it maintains through autumn. This plant gets its name from the silvery blue stems in summer, but don’t miss the fall color, when stems develop a dramatic, deep wine-purple color.
View all
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Ginger Love’ (Aris Greenleaf Plants)
Andropogon gerardii ‘Blackhawks’ (Emerald Coast Growers)
Andropogon gerardii ‘Karl’s Cousin’ (Ag3, Inc.)
Carex ‘Feather Falls’ (Pacific Plug and Liner)
Carex pensylvanica ‘Straw Hat’ (Intrinsic Perennial Gardens)
Cyperus papyrus 'Graceful Grasses Prince Tut' (Proven Winners)
Festuca glauca ‘Blue Whiskers’ (Walters Gardens)
Lomandra ‘Platinum Beauty’ (Southern Living Plant Collection)
Miscanthus ‘Little Miss’ (PlantHaven)
Panicum ‘Hot Rod’ (PlantHaven)
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Little Arrow’ (Ag3, Inc.)
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Prairie Winds Blue Paradise’ (Walters Gardens)
Check out 12 new ornamental grasses and grass-like varieties for growing in your greenhouse or the garden.
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Janeen Wright is former Editor for Greenhouse Grower. . See all author stories here.