Master Gardeners of Lubbock

Ornamental Grasses

by Liz Smitten, Certified Master Gardener

Originally printed in Avalanche Journal Garden Supplement, Spring 2004

One of the joys of gardening in West Texas is that we have wonderful conditions for growing a sometimes overlooked group of plants. With our flat terrain, brilliant blue skies, abundant sunshine, breezes, warm temperatures and relatively small amount of rainfall, a number of the perennial ornamental grasses become attractive additions to smaller gardens. These grasses, many of which are native to the central prairies sweeping from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, remind us that we are part of these Great Plains, and including them in our gardens becomes a celebration of our heritage.

Not all ornamental grasses work well in the home garden. Blue Lyme Grass, whose leaves have the most striking pale blue color, is an aggressive colonizer, can take over a large area in a short period of time and it is difficult to eradicate. This grass should be limited to use in a large garden pot in a sunny area of the garden or patio. Mexican Feather Grass, with its silky fine leaves and graceful mounding habit, looks splendid in the garden, but self-seeds vigorously, and the gardener must be willing to have it everywhere or spend much time digging it up. Giant Pampas Grass, whose plumes can rise to 30 feet, is better used in larger landscapes; however there is a dwarf variety, which grows to six feet, and is more suitable to most home gardens.

For the smaller garden, where space is always a consideration, it is best to choose the sun-loving perennial grasses which form clumps or bunches, and range in height from eight inches to five feet. All of these grasses require a minimum of care, are resistant to insects and plant disease, drought tolerant once they have been established, and only need an annual “haircut” to about six inches from the ground in early spring to keep their good looks. In addition, they should be lifted and divided every five to ten years, only if the center of the plant dies out, or to maintain a desired width.

Blue Fescue forms an eight inch high tufted mound that resembles a hedgehog in shape and holds its color all winter long. Two of the best cultivars for their steely blue green color are ‘Elijah Blue’ and ‘Sea Urchin’.

Little Blue Stem is an upright bunch grass, reaching three feet in height. The cultivar called ‘The Blues’ has blue foliage during the growing season and a rich cinnamon color with delicate seed heads throughout the winter months. ‘Blaze’, a newer cultivar, carries a blue green color in spring and summer, with rosy pink fall and winter color.

Gulf Coast Muhly Grass reaches three feet in height and width, and its long, thin, dark green blades form a cascade topped with electric violet seed heads in fall, and holding throughout the winter with little fading. It is one of the showiest of the grasses and deserves a place in the garden where it is not hidden by taller plants.

Panicum, or switch grass, is another upright bunch grass which grows from four to five feet. The cultivars ‘Prairie Sky’ and ‘Heavy Metal’ are metallic blue color during their growth period, changing to soft tan with silvery seed heads in winter. ‘Shenandoah’ shows summer foliage that is green, tipped with red, turning to orange, red, and buff in autumn.

Bunch grasses are equally at home interspersed in a mixed bed of perennials and annuals, providing a focal point along a path, at the end of a vista, or beside a water feature. In the spring and summer ornamental grasses provide height and a varied color palette, but their true glory comes when they set seed heads and turn color in the cool autumn days. Moving in the wind against a blue sky, or when their seed heads are capped with snow, they remind us that the garden is a living thing and cause for celebration.

For more gardening information in Lubbock, visit the Lubbock Garden Clubs site.