Ornamental Grasses 2018 SHADE GRASSES: ---------------------------------------- Carex, Bowles Golden Sedge Carex elata Height: 1-2 Spread: 2-3 Light: Full Shade to Full Sun Zone: 5-9 Bright yellow new leaves in spring are striking and color carries through the year. Semi-evergreen, tolerates shallow water at edge of ponds. Carex, Buchananii Carex Sedge (Leatherleaf) Height: 18-24 Spread: 24-36 Light: Part Shade Zone: 5-9 Stiff, vertical clump of orange-brown blades curve at the end like a shepherd s staff, which fade to flax at the tips. Also known as Red Rooster. Carex, Evergold Carex hachijoensis Height: 8-18 Spread: 20 Light: Part Shade Zone: 5-9 Preferring sites with moist, rich soil, this Japanese selection forms a low cascading, non-spreading clump of leathery green leaves, with a bright creamy-yellow stripe down the center. Brownish flowers are insignificant. A choice plant for edging, or in the rock garden. If the tips of the leaves get wind-burn over the winter, they may be trimmed with scissors in the spring. 1
Carex, Ice Dance Sedge Carex morrowii, variegata Height: 1 Spread: Non-invasive Light: Full to Part Shade Zone: 5-9 Strong creamy-white leaf margins add brightness to shady and woodland gardens. Creates a dense mat-easy groundcover. Evergreen to -10F. Carex, Japanese Sedge Carex morrowii aurea varigata Height: 1 Spread: 1 Light: Full to Part Shade Zone: 5-9 Mounding evergreen grass has stiff lustrous green and creamy white striped blades. Great effect near ponds or water gardens. - Carex, Japanese Forest Sunflare Hakonechloa macra Height: 12-18 Spread: 18-23 Light: Full to Part Shade Zone: 5-9 This neat, compact carex boasts vibrant chartreuse leaves that with more sun become intense golden yellow, randomly highlighted in deep crimson. Fall coloring is a combination of chartreuse and gold saturated with tones of burnt orange and burgundy-red. 2
SUN GRASSES: -------------------------------------------- Adagio Dwarf Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinesis Height: 4 Spread: 2 Light: Full Sun Zone: 4 Silver gray narrow foliage, clumping form of maiden grass. Late season bronzy flower plumes rise above 5 foliage then change to orange gold and burgundy in the fall. Autumn Flame Miscanthus sinensis purpuranscens Height: 36-48 Spread: 36-48 Light: Sun Zone: 5-9 Fantastic autumn color with showy red to purple foliage and abundance of straw yellow flower spikes. Nice compact grower, it fits well into smaller spaces. Blue Heaven NATIVE Schizachyrium scoparium Height: 4 Spread: 2 ½ Light: Full Sun Zone: 3-9 Great plant for dry, sunny locations. Does not fall over or lodge. Blue summer foliage changes to dark burgundy and then red with purple highlights in the fall. White flowers form in August-September. 3
Burgundy Bunny Dwarf Fountain Grass Height: 12-16 Spread: 16-9 This miniature has red-tinted, carmine foliage among the green all summer, then blazes scarlet from autumn until frost, with dainty cream-colored bunny tail blooms. -available later in the season Cosmopolitan Miscanthus sinensis condensatus Height: 8-10 Spread: 3-5 -9 Large coppery-pink plumes over wide green leaves boldly edged in creamy-white. Provides a fall display of showy plumes and remains attractive all winter. Elijah Blue Cool Season Festuca glauca Height: 8-10 Spread: 8-10 Light: Full Sun Zone: 4 Soft powdery blue spiky foliage that keeps its color all year round. A small clumping grass with a rounded habit. Hameln, Dwarf Fountain Height: 3-4 Spread: 3 Dwarf form of fountain grass with a fine arching leaf. Soft, greenish cream colored panicles begin to appear in midsummer. 4
Hardy Pampas, Ravennae Saccharum erianthus ravennae Height: 12-15 Spread: 5 One of the loveliest ornamental grasses. Superb as accent, screen or architectural specimen. Showy 2 foot long silvery white silky plumes have gorgeous autumn coloring. Japanese Silver Miscanthus sinensis variegatus Height: 5-7 Spread: 3-4 -9 Appears to have a silvery glow from a distance. The leaves are green and white striped, with white being the predominant color. Japanese Silver Red Miscanthus sinensis Rotsilber Height: 5-7 Spread: 4-6 Light: Full Sun Zone: 4-9 Outstanding red tones in both the foliage and the flowers are the highlight of this Miscanthus cultivar. Forms a tall, arching mound of green foliage, with red tints. The flowers are large and have beautiful tones of pinkish-red in mid- to late summer. Fall color on this plant is gorgeous, with the foliage turning a beautiful red. Karl Foerster Cool Season Calamagrostis x acutiflora (Feather Reed) Height: 5-6 Spread: 5-6 Cool season clumping grass with a conpact, erect growth habit. Wheat like seed heads appear in late spring and last all season long. 5
Karley Rose Oriental Fountain Grass Pennisetum orientale Height: 36-48 Spread: 24-36 -9 Fluffy rose pink flowers begin to appear in July and continue to form well into fall. Outstanding color! Korean Feather Reed Calamagrostis brachytricha (Feather Reed) Height: 42 Spread: 30 Fall blooming reed grass with fine textured, rosy inforescence in September. Little Bunny Miniature Fountain Grass Height: 10-12 Spread: 10-12 Light: Full Sun Zones: 5 Plants with fluffy, white inforescence. Best suited for rock gardens. Plant early to over-winter. 4 $ 9.99 Little Zebra Dwarf Zebra Grass Miscanthus sinensis Height: 4 Spread: 3-4 Light: Full Sun Zones: 5-10 Tidy, compact clumping, mound of green foliage with striking horizontal yellow banding with holds well through the summer. Plumes emerge wine-purple. 6
Maiden Miscanthus sinensis Height: 5-6 Spread: 3-4 Beautiful rounded mounds of fine silver veined gren leaves arch gracefully as they sway in the wind. In early fall, fan like plumes emerge with a reddish tint and then age to a soft silvery white.. Malepartus Miscanthus sinensis Height: 5-7 Spread: 45-9 Clumping grass with green foliage and a center white stripe. Slow to emerge in spring. Flowers late August. Nice pink to silver plumes make an attractive focal point in the garden. -available later in season. Morning Light Miscanthus sinensis Height: 4-5 Spread: 3 This plant is luminous when backlit be the early morning or late afternoon sun. It is prized for its rounded habit that never flops. Northwind NATIVE Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) Height: 4-6 Spread: 24-36 -8 Wide, olive-green foliage is compact, upright and fastgrowing. Golden-yellow panicles appear in late summer. It remains vertical through winter unless there s heavy snow or it s grown in significant shade. 7
Overdam Cool Season Calamagrostis acutiflora Height: 5 Spread: 1-2 -8 'Overdam' has variegated foliage that starts out with bright creamy-white margins which then fade to white with a pink flush. Piglet Dwarf Fountain Grass Height: 18 Spread: 12-18 -9 New dwarf fountain grass that is taller than Little Bunny and shorter than Hameln. Fine textured foliage and features fluffy, tan flower heads. -available later in season Red Head Height: 2-4 Spread: 2 Vigorous grower has 10 smoky, purple flowers in summer, before most other pennisetums. Happy in heat and drought. Red October Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii Height: 2-4 Spread: 18-24 Light: Part to Full Sun Zone: 3-9 Chosen for its narrow foliage but the fall color is what makes it unique. After the first frost the foliage turns candy apple red. 8
Shenandoah Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) Height: 3-8 Spread: 24-30 Dark red leaf tones in July, to wine color in September, burgundy in August. Striking contrast plant. Zebra Miscanthus sinensis zebrinus Height: 4-7 Spread: 3-5 Light: Full Sun Zone: 4-9 Rare and exotic. In midsummer, the foliage develops distinctive golden horizontal bands. In late summer, silvery-white plumes appear and last through the winter. Use as an eye-catching accent or in a dramatic grouping. 9