Top 10 Landscape Design Uses for Ornamental Grasses

CrabappleLandscapExperts know there are many benefits of using ornamental grasses in landscape design. Grasses are low maintenance and they provide year-round interest. Grasses are fast-growing and drought-tolerant. They attract wildlife and gently move in the wind.

There are grassesfor any type of landscape situation, from drought tolerance, shade resistance, or beautiful ornamental inflorescence.  

(left) Exceedingly fine and delicate Mexican Feather Grass

Top 10 uses for ornamental grasses in the landscape: 

1. Add texture –light and filmy contrast to large leaf perennials and geometric shrubbery  
2. Soften hardscaping- mobile waving of grass in contrast to solid buildings dramatic effect of mass planting
3. Dress up decks, pools and patios- formal repetition in containers or casual groupings
4. Edging- short tufty grasses loike blue fescue, grassy substitutes like Liriope, sedge or carex
5. Fill containers colorfully- formally repeated containers or casual groupings 
6. Fall and winter interest- tough stalks last through several seasons and bleach in sun
7. Attract wildlife- with grass seeds and grains
8. Groundcover – turf grasses, mondo grass and Liriope
9. Create a garden accent- specimen plant in a perennial border
10. Add privacy- tall grasses like switch grass, reed grass, miscanthus, pampas grass can provide a quick-growing screen 

 Beautiful pink flowering spikes of native Muhly Grass (left)

(right)  Zebra Miscanthus has striking transversely-striped foliage

photos courtesy Wiki Commons.