When is the best time to plant ornamental grasses?

Ornamental grasses should be planted in the spring or early fall. Planting in the spring will give your grasses ample time to establish a strong root system before winter weather kicks in. In warmer regions —where winters are less severe—you can wait until August or September to plant, just be sure to plant at least six to eight weeks before the first frost arrives for the best results. You may also want to provide your grasses with a light layer of straw or mulch to insulate them from oncoming chills.

Are ornamental grasses annuals or perennials?

Most ornamental grasses are perennial plants, but there are a few annual grasses (like purple millet or hare’s tail) that will live only one growing season—making them perfect for containers. Unlike fussier perennial plants (such as roses or hydrangeas), perennial ornamental grasses do not require a lot of extra care once they are established. In fact, with some simple maintenance , they can look beautiful year-round and last for two or more years.

Do ornamental grasses need to be cut back every year?

While many perennials prefer to be cut back in the fall to avoid frost damage, with most ornamental grasses, it is best to wait until late winter or early spring to crop them back. The benefit of waiting until spring is twofold: You can enjoy the visual interest the grasses add to your winter garden while also providing food and a welcome respite for birds. Come spring, before the new shoots begin to show, use a sturdy pair of sheers or a hedge trimmer to cut off the dead foliage approximately 3 to 5 inches from the ground.

21 Ornamental Grasses to Add Unbeatable Texture to Your Garden

Feather Reed Grass

A very popular ornamental grass, feather reed grass offers a distinct upright habit that looks fantastic all winter long. Like many grasses, this tough plant tolerates a wide range of conditions.

Name: Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 6 feet tall

Zones: 5-9

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Fountain Grass

A beautiful, mounding plant, fountain grass has a graceful shape, plus soft, feathery plumes that dance in the breeze.

Name: Pennisetum alopecuroides

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall

Zones: 5-9

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Little Bluestem

A lovely, tough-as-nails prairie native, little bluestem offers gray-green leaf blades that turn bold shades of purple, red, and orange in autumn.

Name: Schizachyrium scoparium

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 3 feet tall

Zones: 4-9

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Switch Grass

A North American prairie native, switch grass offers airy plumes in late summer and fall. It looks great during the season, too: Many varieties (such as 'Dallas Blues') offer blue-gray foliage during the season and turn brilliant shades of gold or red in autumn.

Name: Panicum virgatum

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall

Zones: 4-9

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Blue Oat Grass

It's tough to beat blue oat grass for a low-care plant with steel-blue color. It also has a tidy mounded habit and won't spread and take over your garden.

Name: Helictotrichon sempervirens

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 4 feet tall

Zones: 4-9

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Purple Millet

This incredibly tough annual grass offers fantastic burgundy foliage and rich purple foliage that look like fuzzy cattails. The plants look striking in a landscape and attract birds.

Name: Pennisetum glaucum

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall

Zones: Annual

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Cord Grass

An underutilized perennial, cord grass is a spreading prairie grass that thrives in moist or wet soils. It's a good choice for growing along the side of a pond or stream.

Name: Spartina pectinata

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist soil

Size: To 7 feet tall

Zones: 4-7

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Japanese Forest Grass

Japanese hakone forestgrass along fence near path — Peter Krumhardt

A low-growing species, Japanese forest grass has a nearly-perfect mounding habit. Variegated selections (such as 'Aureola' or 'All Gold') have brightly colored foliage that light up shady corners.

Name: Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and well-drained soil

Size: To 1 foot tall

Zones: 5-9

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Maiden Grass

One of the most common grasses, maiden grass is big, beautiful, and easy to grow. It offers narrow, arching foliage (many selections are variegated; look for them to add more color to your landscape) and silvery plumes that are enchanting when the light catches them just right.

Name: Miscanthus sinensis

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 8 feet tall

Zones: 4-9

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Fiber Optic Grass

An unusual tender perennial often grown as an annual, fiber optic grass has a fine texture and low, mounding habit perfect for container gardens. Since it stays compact, it's also a good choice for gardening in small spaces.

Name: Isolepis cernua

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist soil

Size: To 6 inches tall

Zones: 10-11 (usually grown as an annual in colder Zones)

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Ravenna Grass

A massive, fast-growing perennial, ravenna grass sends up towering, silvery plumes that can top 10 feet. It makes a strong statement in the autumn landscape.

Name: Saccharum ravennae

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 12 feet tall

Zones: 6-9

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Purple Fountain Grass

A favorite of gardeners everywhere because of its burgundy-red foliage all season long, this tender perennial is often used in container gardens.

Name: Pennisetum setaceum 'Purpureum'

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 3 feet tall

Zones: 9-10 (grown as an annual in cooler climates)

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Northern Sea Oats

This ornamental grass is loved for its interesting seed heads, which hang off the stems and look like wind chimes.

Test Garden Tip: Northern sea oats is a fast spreader, so plant in a container or other spot that will keep it in bounds.

Name: Chasmanthium latifolium

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil

Size: To 3 feet tall

Zones: 5-9

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Zebra Grass

It's easy to see how zebra grass got its name: Each leaf blade features a series of bright yellow bands. The plant really stands out in the landscape! Zebra grass also has a nice upright habit that looks great in the perennial border.

Name: Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus'

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall

Zones: 4-9

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Purple Moor Grass

The delightful mounding foliage of thispurple moor grass turns brilliant gold in autumn. It's a good choice for partially shaded gardens.

Name: Molinia caerulea

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist soil

Size: To 5 feet tall

Zones: 5-9

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Hair Grass

Depending on the climate, hair grass is an evergreen grass with airy plumes in shades of golden, silver, purple, and green. The plant has an attractive mounding habit as well.

Name: Deschampsia cespitosa

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 6 feet tall

Zones: 5-9

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Blue Fescue

A short grass perfect for edging or as a groundcover, blue fescue offers powder-blue foliage on tidy, dwarf mounds.

Name: Festuca glauca

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil

Size: To 1 foot tall

Zones: 4-8

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Dwarf Pampas Grass

Growing just 4-5 feet tall, dwarf pampas grass develops showy white flower plumes in the late summer and fall. Use it in the back of the border where you can enjoy the flower heads all winter long. Like standard pampas grass, the dwarf variety can become invasive, so plant it where its roots can't spread. It is deer- and drought-resistant and tolerates almost any soil type.

Name: Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila'

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: 5 feet tall

Zones: 6-10

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Liriope

Also called monkey grass or lilyturf, liriope isn't actually a true grass but a member of the lily family. However, its pretty mounding, grasslike foliage has a similar effect in a garden. An excellent groundcover, liriope thrives in sun or shade and helps control erosion on steep slopes. As a bonus, the plant sends up spikes of lavender, purple, or white flowers in late summer followed by bluish black, berrylike fruits.

Name: Liriope spicata

Growing Conditions: Full sun to shade and well-drained soil

Size: To 9-15 inches tall

Zones: 5-9

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Big Bluestem

Native to the American prairie, big bluestem is a tall, handsome grass that adapts easily to any landscape. In the spring, the foliage of big bluestem starts out blue-green, gradually turning green with hints of red and finally changing to reddish-bronze in the fall. The plants grow well in moist or dry soils. This grass can be slow to take hold but will eventually form large, upright clumps.

Name: Andropogon gerardii

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: 4-8 feet tall

Zones: 4-9

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Mexican Feather Grass

Even the slightest breeze will cause the delicate flower stalks and thin leaves of Mexican feather grass to dance delightfully on the wind. This graceful grass thrives in poor soil and tolerates dry conditions. It looks terrific planted in containers or scattered on a meadow or slope. Mexican feather grass is a good choice for erosion control.

Name: Nassella tenuissima

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 3 feet tall

Zones: 6-10

Many ornamental grasses commonly used for landscaping have a tendency to escape gardens and outcompete native species in natural areas. It's a good idea to check if a type of ornamental grass is considered invasive in your area before planting it. Even native grasses can spread aggressively in the right conditions so it's worth doing a little homework on any grass you want to plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to plant ornamental grasses?

Ornamental grasses should be planted in the spring or early fall. Planting in the spring will give your grasses ample time to establish a strong root system before winter weather kicks in. In warmer regions—where winters are less severe—you can wait until August or September to plant, just be sure to plant at least six to eight weeks before the first frost arrives for the best results. You may also want to provide your grasses with a light layer of straw or mulch to insulate them from oncoming chills.
Are ornamental grasses annuals or perennials?

Most ornamental grasses are perennial plants, but there are a few annual grasses (like purple millet or hare’s tail) that will live only one growing season—making them perfect for containers. Unlike fussier perennial plants (such as roses or hydrangeas), perennial ornamental grasses do not require a lot of extra care once they are established. In fact, with some simple maintenance, they can look beautiful year-round and last for two or more years.
Do ornamental grasses need to be cut back every year?

While many perennials prefer to be cut back in the fall to avoid frost damage, with most ornamental grasses, it is best to wait until late winter or early spring to crop them back. The benefit of waiting until spring is twofold: You can enjoy the visual interest the grasses add to your winter garden while also providing food and a welcome respite for birds. Come spring, before the new shoots begin to show, use a sturdy pair of sheers or a hedge trimmer to cut off the dead foliage approximately 3 to 5 inches from the ground.