Choosing Grasses

Grass Types

The main kinds of ornamental grass and how they differ.

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Types of Ornamental Grasses: A Guide to Garden Grasses

A practical guide to the main types of ornamental grasses, sorted by season, size, growth habit and light, with example plants and where each one fits.

6 min read

Blue Ornamental Grasses: Silvery-Blue Varieties for Color Contrast

Add cool silver-blue to your garden with blue fescue, blue oat grass, little bluestem and switchgrass. Learn sizes, conditions and how to keep the color.

4 min read

Can I mix cool and warm-season grasses?

In garden beds, mixing cool and warm-season ornamental grasses works well. In lawns it usually does not. Here is how to combine them and what to watch.

3 min read

Evergreen Ornamental Grasses That Stay Green All Year

Most ornamental grasses go brown in winter, but some hold their color. Meet evergreen and semi-evergreen grasses and sedges, with zones and care tips.

3 min read

Grasses vs Sedges: How to Tell the Difference

Grasses, sedges and rushes look alike but differ in stem shape, family and growing needs. Here is how to tell them apart and which to plant where.

3 min read

How do I care for ornamental grasses?

Ornamental grasses need little care: the right spot, water in year one, a yearly cut-back and division every few years. Here is the full routine.

4 min read

How hot is too hot to plant cool-season grass?

There is no single cutoff, but cool-season grasses struggle to establish in heat. Learn rules of thumb, safer planting windows and how to plant in summer.

3 min read

Is Pampas Grass Invasive? Where It's a Problem and What to Plant Instead

Pampas grass is invasive in parts of the US West Coast, Hawaii, Florida, Australia and New Zealand. See where it is a problem and what to plant instead.

4 min read

Miscanthus vs Pennisetum: Choosing Between Maiden Grass and Fountain Grass

Maiden grass (Miscanthus) and fountain grass (Pennisetum) both bring plumes and movement. Compare size, shape, hardiness and spread to pick the right one.

3 min read

Non-Invasive Ornamental Grasses: Clumping Grasses That Won't Spread

Looking for ornamental grasses that stay put? Learn how clumping, running and self-seeding grasses differ, and which well-behaved varieties to plant.

4 min read

Should all ornamental grasses be cut back in the spring?

Not every ornamental grass needs a spring haircut. Learn which grasses to cut back, which to comb instead, and how to time and do the job safely.

4 min read

Warm-Season vs Cool-Season Ornamental Grasses (With Lists)

Learn how warm-season and cool-season ornamental grasses differ, with plant lists for each, plus when to plant, divide and cut back both types.

4 min read

Year-Round Ornamental Grasses for Four-Season Interest

Choose ornamental grasses that look good in every season, from spring foliage to winter seed heads, plus tips on planting time and when to cut back.

3 min read

More in choosing grasses

Grasses by Zone Grasses that thrive in your hardiness zone. Shade Grasses Grasses and grass-like plants for shady spots. Wet Site Grasses Grasses for rain gardens, pond edges and damp soil. Dry Sun Grasses Tough grasses for hot, dry, sunny beds.