Ornamental Grasses Need Little Care

Most of ornamental grasses thrive with little or no care for years, gradually increasing in size and providing showy flower and seed stalks in late summer and fall each year. Others are annuals, best planted in the garden in spring and harvested for dried arrangements in fall. One of the best known of all ornamental grasses is Pampas Grass. Its large ornamental plumes have long been used for indoor decoration. However, the true Pampas Grass (Cortaderia sp.) is a subtropical perennial grass. A grass often found around older homes, but not much planted toady also has large plumes and commonly called Pampus grass. This grass is really Eulalia grass (Miscanthus sinensis).

The plant is very ornamental, with long, arching foliage about 2 to 3 feet in length. Each leaf blade is about an inch across at the widest point and has a prominent whitish midvein. In flower the plant may reach a height of 6 to 10 feet. It gradually forms a large clump. Eulalia grasses are available with solid green leaves, or with leaves striped with white or yellow. A type having leaves banded with yellow is commonly called Zebra grass.

The largest ornamental grass that may be growing in our area is Arundo, or Giant Reed. This grass may reach a height of 20 feet in one season. When mature it also produced large plumes. Leaves are about 1 to 2 feet long, and about 2 ½ inches wide. It is somewhat tender and in northern areas of the state should be protected by planting close to buildings or heavily mulched in winter.

Probably the smallest ornamental grass is Blue Fescue (Festuca ovina glauca) which grow only 10 to 12 inches tall. Blue fescue is a very fine, tufted grass of light blue color. It is often used as a low edging plant spaced about one foot apart. Another perennial grass often found around older homes is ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea picta). Its striped white and green leaves are very ornamental. It grow to a height of 2 to 4 feet and looks somewhat like a short bamboo. Unfortunately, in fertile soils it spreads rapidly by underground stolons and may become a pest. However, it is an excellent plant for poor, dry soils or in areas where its spread can be controlled.

A perennial grass which may be grown from seed and used in the annual flower bed is Fountain Grass. It has very narrow leaves, only about 1/8 inch broad and produces bristly seed heads about a foot along. It has a rosy or coppery coloration in both leaves and seed heads. Clumps grow to a height of about 4 feet. It goes not endure freezing, so roots must be brought indoors or new seedings made each spring.

One of the very ornamental annual grasses for the garden is the Quaking grass (Briza maxima). From seeding in the spring it will produce graceful nodding fruit clusters in late summer that are quite attractive in the garden or in dried arrangements. A few other annual grasses for both garden and dried arrangements include Cloud grass (Agrostis nebulosa), Hares-tail grass (Lagurus ovaturs) and Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi).

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