Plants with Long-Lasting Appeal

Ornamental grasses add strong, long-lasting appeal in the garden, especially in winter when other plants begin looking disheveled. Ornamental grasses add movement, sound, and color to the garden year-round. Ornamental grasses not only provide graceful-looking foliage but also bless the winter garden with distinct shape. Ornamental grasses combine well with other plants or can simply stand alone as an accent.

Most ornamental grasses have clumping or mounding habits and range in height from a few inches to several feet tall. Some varieties of ornamental grasses will spread or reseed quickly. Nearly all types of ornamental grasses thrive in a variety of conditions and soils, making them quite versatile. Ornamental grasses are generally pest free and suffer from few disease problems. Once established in the garden, ornamental grasses require very little maintenance. As a bonus, ornamental grasses can be used for a variety of decorative arrangements as well.

As the foliage matures later in the season, the color and texture of many types of ornamental grasses change, and with just the slightest breeze, the blades of many grasses will create a gentle rustling sound that will ripple throughout the garden. In the fall, for instance, the spring and summer colors change to hues of red, beige, or brown, providing a great winter garden accent. The colors of various seedheads vary as well in shades of maroon, red, pink, silver, white, yellow, or beige.

While there are far too many varieties to list, some of my personal favorites have included feather grass, switch grass, pampas grass, prairie dropseed, and ribbon grass. The feathery-looking plumes from varieties such as Feather grass (Stipa pennata) and Canary grass (Phalaris canariensis) add instant drama to the garden. Switch grass (Panicum virgatum) turns beige and provides not only winter interest but also great cover and food for birds and wildlife. Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) grows in large clumps and has striking feather-like white plumes throughout winter. The graceful, fountain-like clumps of Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) turn yellow-orange in the fall. Ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is another exceptional addition to the garden, with its white and green striped leaves and lively flower clusters. This ornamental grass is sure to stand out among all others.

Other interesting types of ornamental grasses that I have found attractive in the winter garden include the brown seedheads of Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), which are quite lovely dangling in the wind, and the beautiful arching leaves of Japanese Forest grass (Hakonechloa macra), which makes a good companion to brightly colored, cold-hardy flowers, like pansies.

Ornamental grasses are adaptable, easy to grow, and provide year-round interest. And while ornamental grasses accent the garden any time of year, they seem to be at their most impressive stages during the doldrums of winter.