Some Grasses Worth Growing

Fuzzy spikes, nestling like foxtails among asters and rose hips, left, rise above the dark-green leaves of Hameln Pennisetum alopecuroides.This dwarf fountain grass' sun-loving tufts reach 2 to 3 feet. Its bristly flower spikes sparkle each morning with captured dewdrops.

Baby-soft blossoming spikes of Southwestern native needlegrass, Stipa tenuissima, lend the grace of the Great Plains to naturalized borders. Its 2-1/2-foot-tall clumps grow best in sun. Compadres in this sun-loving, water-thrifty threesome are a violet speedwell and pink sundrops.

Bearing the truest of grass blues, blue wheatgrass, Agro-pyron magellanicum, cools the summer border like a stainless steel fountain. The 12-inch tufts send up wheatlike spikes in early summer. Provide a well-drained soil and light shade in regions with hot summers.

Variegated purple Moor grass walks on the wild side at the heels of its refined neighbors sedum, bergenia, and heuchera. Best in sun, winter-hardy Moor grass clumps compete well with tree and shrub roots and yield purpleblushed flower heads in summer. Cast ornamental grasses in the role of noble savages in your landscape, adding a touch of untamable wilderness or prairie to otherwise civilized settings.

A first pick among gardeners for centuries, the native-American variegated ribbon grass, Phalaris arundinacea Picta can be found flourishing on old farm sites. This adaptable grower (best in part shade) often flags by midsummer. Trim plants to yield a flush of fresh foliage.

Morning Light miscanthus casts a silvery spray over its companions, pink succulent sedums and lavender Russian sage. Japanese silver grasses are an adaptable, clumping grass group for beginners. Its flower spikes can be harvested either fresh or dried.

Lifting airy, bronze plumes well above its fine foliage, Tatra Gold Deschampsia flexuosa lights up a garden path. This hair grass prefers part sun, which makes it a candidate for shady niches planted with hostas, ferns, and bleeding-heart. Like other clump-forming grasses, divide deschampsia when it begins to develop a balding central core.

Related Garden Plan: Corner of Grasses