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Garden Mastery Tips WSU Master Gardeners of Clark County

August 2003

Ornamental Grasses for Southwestern Washington
A partial listing of available and recommended plants for Washington home gardens
by James W. Gilles and Robert E. Ploss

Foreword
Acknowledgments
The Anatomy of True Grasses
Characteristics of Some Useful Ornamental Grasses
Images of Selected Ornamental Grasses
Grasses with Desirable Traits
Grasses for Specific Purposes
Glossary
Local Nursery Sources for Ornamental Grasses
References

Foreword

We have tried to develop a reference for our area Master Gardeners that will help in planning home gardens and in answering common questions about grasses and sedges. We have included some area resources for this group of increasingly popular plants.

Selecting a group of grasses and sedges from the hundreds of available ornamentals has been difficult. We certainly have omitted some favorites of the many grasses that grow so well in our region.

Some seemingly friendly decorative plants can become unwanted guests if not properly managed. Please give due consideration to propagation and control techniques for all species you bring into your garden. We have purposely omitted invasive grasses and several of the very large specimen grasses, believing them unsuitable for home gardens.

Errors may have crept into this work despite our best efforts to eliminate them. Whatever errors you may find are ours alone.

Mr. Steve R. Schmidt of American Ornamental Perennials, Eagle Creek, Oregon, has been most helpful in the revision of this pamphlet. Steve's encyclopedic knowledge of ornamental grasses and of the availability of specific varieties in the southwest Washington area has made our booklet more valuable to this area's gardeners.

James W. Gilles and Robert E. Ploss

"It has taken a long time for awareness to ripen sufficiently to acknowledge the contribution of grasses, a group of plants with no lesser role than to provide humanity with its daily bread. Only recently have they become recognized as nourishment for both body and soul. Our eyes have remained closed until now.

The word began spreading from [Karl] Foerster's nursery in Germany, initially, as he inspired his students. Slowly it exercised its magic to the point where, today, it holds the gardening world in its thrall. This development is transforming our gardens."

Ernst Pagels, tribute to Karl Foerster, from King and Oudolf, Gardening with Grasses

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the local nurseries contacted in the course of this compilation. We have listed their names under "Sources". They were most helpful.

Our special thanks goes to Ms. Susan Henke, owner of Friends and Neighbors Nursery, Battleground, Washington. Her willingness to share of her time and knowledge went far beyond expectations and made our task easier.

We also extend thanks to the Master Gardener instructors who have given so freely of their time and knowledge. Their enthusiastic presentations have been stimulating and exciting. We hope to honor them by our service as Master Gardeners.

The Anatomy Of True Grasses

The pollination of grasses

Although the spikelets of grasses normally contain both male and female organs, any one spikelet will only expose either its stigmas or its anthers at any one time. Later, once the anthers have shed their pollen, that spikelet will expose its stigmas, and the one that first exposed its stigmas will expose its anthers.

Panicle forms

Characteristics of Some Useful Ornamental Grasses

Site abbreviations: S = Sun, FS = Full Sun, Sh = Shade, LSh = Light Shade, PSh = Partial shade. Note: Photographs are provided for grasses with linked reference numbers.

#	Scientific Name	Common Name	Height	Site	Notes
1	Briza media 'Trembling Hearts'	Trembling grass	to 2.5'	FS	Ground cover or rock garden. Plants will spread slowly and self-sow.
2	Buchloe dactyloides	Buffalo grass	4 - 6"	FS	Slow to establish and spread by rhizomes.
3	Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'	Feather reed grass	4 - 5'	S, LSh	Sterile hybrid. Grows well in poorly drained soil, but prefers good soil and regular watering. Flower stems rise to 6 - 7'.
Carex (Sedges)					All sedges tolerate moist fertile soils.
4	Carex buchananii	Leatherleaf sedge	2 - 3'	S, LSh	Lovely brown foliage with curly tops.
5	C. conica'Snowline'	Dwarf sedge	3 - 12"	S, LSh
6	C. dolichostachya 'Kaga-nishiki'		8 - 18"	S, LSh	Gold Fountains is a trade name for the cultivar.
7	C. comans 'Frosted Curls'	New England hair sedge	1 - 1.5'	S, PSh	Very finely textured, pale green with delicate silver frosting at the tips.
8	C. morrowii 'Aureovariegata'	Variegated Japanese sedge	1 - 1.5'		Not a clonal cultivar. Evergreen grass forming arching clumps of green with yellow margins.
9	C. pendula	Drooping sedge	3 - 4'	LSh, S	White stripe in center of leaf. Prolific self-seeder.
10	Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila'	Dwarf pampas grass	3 - 5'	FS	Moist, well-drained soil. Cut back every several years to maintain vigor.
11	Deschampsia caespitosa 'Bronzeschleier'	Tufted hair grass	1 - 4'	PSh, S	Partial shade is ideal. Plant in well drained humus-rich, slightly acid soil. Plants often self-sow!
Festuca
12	Festuca glauca	Boulder blue fescue	8"	FS	The bluest fescue – from Colorado.
13	Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'	Blue fescue	8 - 18"	S	Likes well-drained soils. Soft, powdery blue.
14	Festuca mairei	Maire's fescue	2 - 3'	FS	Filler or ground cover. Use for mass plantings. Tolerates heat and drought once established.
15	Hakonechloa macra	Japanese forest grass	1 - 3'	PSh, S	Slow spreader. Luxuriant, cascading mounds. Excellent in containers.
16	H. macra 'Aureola'	Golden variegated hakone grass	6 - 18"	FSh	Partial to full shade. Moist, well-drained humus-rich soil. Slow growing cool season grass. Yellow blades striped green.
17	Helictotrichon sempervirens	Blue oat grass	1 - 5'	FS	Clumping, blue, cool-season grass. Useful as a specimen.
18	Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra'	Japanese blood grass	12 - 18"	FS, PSh	Likes warmer soils. Brilliant red tips every season. Especially striking in fall.
19	Liriope muscari 'Big Blue'	Lilyturf	8 - 18"	FS, PSh	Grasslike member of lily family. Cut old leaves back in early spring.
Miscanthus					BE CAREFUL – Many are self-seeding.
20	M. sinensis 'Gracillimus'	Maiden grass	4.5'	FS	Most popular. Seldom self-seeds.
21	M. sinensis var. purpurascens	Purple maiden grass, Flame grass	3 - 5'	FS	Gorgeous red-orange fall foliage. One of the earliest flowering varieties of maiden grass.
22	M. sinensis 'Silberpfeil'	Eulalia	4 - 5'	FS	One of the hardiest varieties of maiden grass.
23	M. s. 'Morning Light'	Dwarf maiden grass	4 - 5'	S, LSh	Arguably best all-around plant of the Miscanthus group. Blooms late with reddish flowers.
24	M. s. 'Adiagio'	Japanese silver grass	to 3.5'	S, LSh	Compact with silver-gray foliage. Two- to three-feet long panicles emerge pink, fade to white.
25	M. s. 'Flamingo'	Japanese silver grass	to 6'		Large, loosely open, pink-tinted inflorescences. Slightly pendant blooms appear late summer.
26	M. s. 'Sarabande'		to 6'		Similar to Gracillimus, but finer textured. Golden copper colored inflorescences in August.
27	M. s. 'Strictus'	Porcupine grass	4 - 6'	FS	One of the hardier Miscanthus cultivars. Tolerates wet soils.
28	M. s. 'Variegatus'	Variegated silver grass	4 - 6'	S, PSh	Prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soil.
29	M. s. 'Zebrinus'	Zebra grass	4 - 8'	S, PSh
30	Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea 'Sky Racer'	Moor Grass	2 - 4'	S, LSh	Warm season grass. Slow to establish.
Ophiopogon					Not true grasses. Clumps or tufts of grasslike leaves with white or lavender flowers in spiked or branched clusters.
31	Ophiopogon japonicus	Mondo grass, Dwarf lilyturf	3 - 6"	PSh, S	Shady, moist sites.
32	O. japonicus'Nana'	Dwarf mondo grass, Dwarf lilyturf	3"	PSh, S	Grows well in shady, moist sites. Can take more sun in colder regions.
33	O. planiscapus'Ebony Knight'	Black mondo grass, Lilyturf	4 - 6"	FS, LSh	Novelty. Black-leaved plants are rather rare. Best in container.
34	Oryzopsis hymenoides	Indian rice grass	1 - 2'	FS, LSh	Plant in well-drained, sandy soil. Attractive flowers in mid-spring to early summer. Native perennial. Actually prefers a desert environment.
35	Panicum virgatum'Dallas Blue'	Tall blue switch grass	3 - 5'	FS	Has 1-inch-wide blue foliage and 28" long drooping panicles.
36	Panicum virgatum'Northwind'	Switch grass	4 - 10'	FS	Bunch-forming prairie grass. Ground cover or meadow grass. Tolerant of wind and salt spray. Steve Schmidt's favorite. Very hardy.
37	Panicum v.'Hänse Herms'	Red switch grass	2.5'		Once a major component of American tallgrass prairies. May run by rhizomes. Loves water's edge.
Pennistetum					Generally clump-forming with gracefully arching stems bearing fat, furry plumes at the ends. Among the most graceful of ornamental grasses.
38	P. alopecuroides'Hameln'	Dwarf fountain grass	1.5 - 2'	S, LSh	Leaves yellow in fall, brown in winter. Small, with white plumes. Divide clumps periodically.
39	P. alopecuroides var. viridescens	Black-seeded fountain grass	1 - 2'	S, LSh	Dark brown to black flowers. Lush, arching foliage. May be listed as P. alopecuroides'Moudry'.
40	P. a.'Little Bunny'		2'	S, LSh	Very compact form with bronze plumes. Excellent landscape plant.
41	P. a.'Moudry'		2'		Blooms later. Black/brown. Stiff fat flower spikes.
42	P. orientale	Oriental fountain grass	1 - 2.5'	FS, LSh	Non-invasive warm season perennial. Drought-tolerant once established. One of the earliest blooming fountain grasses.
43	Phormium tenax'Yellow Wave'	New Zealand flax	2'	S, LSh	Cultivars will grow from 3 to 5'. Not always hardy in the northwest.
44	Scirpis cernuus,also called Isolepis cernua	Fiber optic plant, Mop sedge	9 - 12"	S, LSh	Dense bright green tuft with arching thread-like stems and leaves. Tiny white flowers at tips. Good in containers and as a house plant. Very showy.
45	Sesleria caerulea	Blue moor grass	6 - 8"	S, LSh	Forms basal mounds of blue-green foliage. Blooms March and April.
46	Sorghastrum nutans	Indian grass, Wood grass	2 - 5'	FS, LSh	Robust, warm-season grass. Drought-tolerant once established.
47	Spodiopogon sibiricus	Frost grass, Silverspike grass	1 - 2'	FS, LSh	Grows best where climate is cool and moist. Fuzzy, stiff, bamboo-like leaves. Green in summer; purple-red tones in autumn.
48	Stipa capillata	Silver feather grass	3'	S	Straight, slivery awns.
49	Stipa gigantea	Giant feather grass	2 - 3'	FS	Has 6-foot stems with oatlike heads of yellowish florets. Water well until established. Great as specimen or for cut arrangements.

Images of Selected Ornamental Grasses

Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4
Briza media 'Trembling Hearts' Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' Carex buchananii Carex conica 'Snowline'	Carex dolichostachya 'Kaga-nishiki' Carex comans 'Frosted Curls' Carex morrowii 'Aureovariegata' Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila' Festuca cinerea 'Elija's Blue'	Helictotrichon sempervirens Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra' Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus'	Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus' Pennistetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' Phormium tenax 'Yellow Wave' Sesleria caerulea

Grasses with Desirable Traits

Drought Tolerant Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' Festuca glauca and all cultivars Helictotrichon sempervirens Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' M. sinensis 'Graziella' M. sinensis 'Strictus' Panicum virgatum and cultivars Moisture Tolerant Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' Carex species - most Miscanthus sinensis and cultivars Panicum virgatum and cultivars Shade Tolerant Briza media Calmagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' Carex species - most Some Pennisetum Spring Inflorescence Briza media Carex pendula Festuca species Helictotrichon sempervirens Summer Inflorescence Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' Cortaderia selloana and cultivars Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder' Molina caerulea and cultivars Pennisetum alopecuroides and cultivars Spodiopogon sibericus

Fall Colors Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron' Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' Miscanthus sinensis 'Purpurascens' Multicolor foliage Carex buchananii Carex fortunei 'Frosted Curls' Festuca glauca cultivars Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' Helictotrichon sempervirens Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron' Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatum' Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus' Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blue' Evergreen Carex buchananii Carex dolichostachya 'Kaga Nishiki' Carex pendula Cortaderia selloana and cultivars Festuca species and cultivars Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Niger' Stipa gigantea Deer Resistant Briza media Helictotrichon sempervirens Miscanthus species and cultivars Panicum virgatum and cultivars Stipa gigantea

Grasses for Specific Purposes

Specimen Grasses Carex pendula Cortaderia selloana Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' Miscanthus species and cultivars Stipa gigantea Groundcover in Sun Briza media Festuca species Helictotrichon sempervirens Miscanthus sinensis and cultivars Pennisetum alopecuroides and cultivars

Screening Cortaderia selloana Miscanthus sinensis and cultivars Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blue' Pennisetum alopecuroides Cut Flowers Briza media Calmagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' Cortaderia selloana Miscanthus species and cultivars Panicum virgatum cultivars Pennisetum species and cultivars Stipa species

NOTA BENE: The above categories were modified from the American Ornamental Perennials catalog, Summer 1999 - Spring 2000 and from other sources.

Glossary of Terms for Grasses

Anther	The pollen-bearing part of a stamen.
Auricle	An appendage of the leaf blade occasionally found in grasses, usually at the blade base.
Awn	A slender, often silky, sometimes stiff bristle extending from the lemma or glume, attached to the bracts of a grass flower. Awns may be short and barely conspicuous or they may be many inches long, contributing significantly to the beauty and translucency of grass flowers.
Axil	The angle between the leaf and the stem to which it attaches.
Blade	The usually flat part of the leaf, different from the stem and the sheath.
Bract	A modified, often reduced leaf, usually situated near a flower or inflorescence.
Bunch grass	A grass that grows as a clump.
Cane	Thickened culm, or stem of a grass.
Collar	A membranous or hairy appendage at the base of the leaf where it connects to the sheath.
Crown	The base of the plant arising from the soil line.
Culm	The stem of a grass, sedge or rush.
Dioecious	Having separate male and female plants.
Glume	A bract located at the base of a grass spikelet. Typically there are two glumes associated with each spikelet.
Grasses	Any of a large family (Gramineae) of monocotyledonous mostly herbaceous plants with jointed stems, slender sheathing leaves and flowers borne in spikelets of bracts.
Inflorescence	The flowering structure of a grass; the arrangement of the flowers on the stem.
Internode	The part of an above or underground stem between two nodes.
Lemma	The outer or upper scalelike bract in the spikelet.
Ligule	A small, membranous projection occasionally present at the top of the sheath or the base of the blade.
Linear	Leaves that are longer than they are wide.
Lodicule	A specialized structure in grasses found between the lemma and the palea; it serves to open and close the flower.
Node	A joint on the stem at which leaves, bracts, or branches are produced.
Ornamental Grasses	Grasses and grasslike plants used chiefly for ornament. A large and complex group of plants with wide ranges of habitat and culture.
Ovary	The structure that bears the seed after fertilization.
Palea	The inner or upper scalelike bract in the spikelet.
Panicle	The flower head of a grass, or, in particular, a branched flower head with a main axis and divided branches with stalked spikelets.
Raceme	An inflorescence with stalked spikelets borne along a single axis.
Rhizome	An underground stem from which roots and shoots emerge along the internodes.
Runner	An above-ground stem that creeps along the ground, and from which roots and shoots emerge at the nodes. Also called a stolon.
Sedges	Any of the family Cyperaceae of usually tufted marsh plants differing from the related grasses in having achenes and solid stems; any of the genus Carex
Sheath	The basal part of the leaf that wraps around the stem and holds it in place.
Spicate	Bearing single or multiple leaves.
Spike	An inflorescence composed of stalkless flowers arranged on a single axis; also a general term for grass flowers.
Spikelet	An individual grass flower. Most inflorescences are composed of many spikelets.
Stem	The smooth, usually cylindrical structure that holds the leaves and inflorescence of a grass.
Stigma	The structure that receives the pollen.
Stolon	An aboveground stem that creeps along the ground, producing roots and new plants at the nodes; also called a runner.
Stratification	Treatment of seeds to induce or speed germination; may involve exposure to heat or cold, soaking, or other treatment of the seed.
Umbel	An inflorescence in which all the flower spikes arise from the same point.
Viviparous	Producing new plantlets on the mother plant, often on, or instead of, flowers. These plantlets, which will grow into new plants, may be removed or left to fall to the ground.

 

Local Nursery Sources for Ornamental Grasses

Grasses

• Blooms & Bark, 6211 NE 88th Street, Vancouver, WA 98665-0960, 360-573-4646, Fax: (360) 573-4162
• Cascade Greenhouse, 2201 NE 112th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98684-4275, 360-892-9494, Fax: 360-892-8442
• Cedar Mill Nursery, 7520-B NE 219th Street, Battle Ground, WA, 360-687-5926
• Drake's 7 Dees Nursery, 16519 SE Stark, Portland, OR 97233-4299, 888-255-9225, Fax: 503-255-9227, Web site: http://7dees.com/
• Forestfarm Nursery, 990 Tetherow Road, Williams, OR 97544-9599, 541-846-7269, Fax: 541-846-6963, Ray and Peg Prag, owners. Web site: http://forestfarm.com/. Mail order nursery with wide selection of grasses and other perennials.
• Poteet's Garden Shop and Nursery, 10 miles north of Battle Ground on corner of 503 and Kelly Road, 360-686-3383
• Shorty's Nurseries, 10006 SE Mill Plain Boulevard, Vancouver, WA 98664-4521, 360-892-7880, Fax: 360-253-8486; and 705 NE 199th Street, Ridgefield, WA 98642-9463, 360-887-3936
• Swenson's Nursery, 4806 NW 122nd Street, Vancouver, WA 98685-2129, 360-573-5725, Terry Q. Swenson, owner.
• Trans-Pacific Nursery, 16065 Oldsville Road, McMinville, OR 97128, 503-472-6215
• Tsugawa's Nursery, 410 E. Scott Avenue, Woodland, WA 98674-9413, 360-225-8750, Fax: 360-225-5086, Brian Tsugawa, owner.
• Van Essen Nursery Company, 38886 River Drive, Lebanon, OR 97355-8912, 541-258-3626, Fax: 541-258-3875, Web site: http://www.proaxis.com/~venco/
• Yard and Garden Land, 1501 NE 102nd Street (corner of Hwy 99 and 102nd St.), Vancouver, WA, 360-573-7172

Seeds

• Comstock Seeds, 8520 West 4th Street, Reno, NV 89523
• Four Seasons Seed Company, P. O. Box 6293, Albany, CA 94706-6293
• Granite Seeds , 1697 West 2100 North, Lehi, UT 84043
• Larner Seeds, P. O. Box 407, Bolinas, CA 94924-0407, Web site: http://larnerseeds.com/

References

Barton, Barbara J., Gardening by Mail — A Source Book, 5^th Edition, New York, 1997, Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003. ISBN: 0-395-87770-9, $24.00, A remarkable source book for any gardener.

Brenzel, Kathleen N., Editor, Sunset Western Garden Book, 6^th Edition, 1995, Menlo Park, CA 94025. ISBN 0-376-3850-0, ISBN softcover edition: 0-376-03851-9, $29.95, Useful reference for the whole northwest.

Brickell, Christopher, Editor in Chief, Encyclopedia of Gardening, New York, 1993, DK Publishing, 95 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. ISBN 1-56458-291-4 $49.95, The Master Gardeners' "Bible".

Chatterton, Jo, Grasses, The New Plant Library, 1998, New York, Lorenz Books, 27 West 20^th Street, New York City 10011. 800-354-9657, ISBN: 1-85967-635-9, $9.95, Good "beginning" book with a "Plant Catalog" listing grasses by "small," "medium," and "large" categories, as well as a grower's guide to buying, dividing, etc. Recommended.

Darke, Rick, The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses: Sedges, Rushes, Restios, Cat-Tails, and Selected Bamboos, 1999, Timber Press, 133 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 450, Portland, Oregon, 97204. ISBN 0-88192-464-4, $49.95, Superb illustrations. Highly recommended.

Greenlee, John, and Fell, Derek, The Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses, 1992, Emmaus, PA, The Rodale Press, 33 East Minor Street, Emmaus, PA 18098. ISBN 0-87596-100-2, $29.95, This book has an excellent section on designing with ornamental grasses, but the information should be tempered considering local growing conditions.

Grounds, Roger, Plantfinder's Guide to Ornamental Grasses, 1998, Timber Press, 133 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 450, Portland, OR 97204-3527. ISBN: 0-88-192-451-2, $34.95, Useful, but basically a UK book re-worked for the US market. Excellent plates of flowers and leaves, and a good section on annual grasses.

Hill, Susan, and Narizny, Susan, Pacific Northwest Plant Locator, 1999-2000, 1st Edition, 1999, Portland, OR, Black-Eyed Susans Press, PMB 227, 6327-C SW Capitol Highway, Portland, OR 97201-1937. $20.00, Fax: 503-245-4638, e-mail: bespress@earthlink.net.

Holmes, Roger, Editor, Taylor's Guide to Ornamental Grasses, New York, 1997, Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003. ISBN 0-395-79761-6, www.hmco.com/trade/, $21.00, Useful book with suggestions about planting and an encyclopedia of grasses ordered by Latin names.

King, Michael, and Oudolf, Piet, Gardening with Grasses, 1998, Timber Press, 133 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 450, Portland, OR 97204-3527. ISBN: 0-88-192-411-3, $34.95, First printed in the Netherlands, 1996, then in London in English, 1998. Inspiring photographs.

Loewer, Peter, Better Homes and Gardens Step by Step Ornamental Grasses, Des Moines, 1995, Meredith Books, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023. ISBN 0-696-20659-5, $12.95, Excellent value. Almost half the book is dedicated to designing with grasses, with particular attention to the home garden. Recommended.

Ottesen, Carole, Ornamental Grasses – The Amber Wave, 1989, New York, McGraw-Hill, Inc. ISBN: 0-07-047933-X, hardcover: $24.95.

Pesch, Barbara B., Editor, Ornamental Grasses, Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record, 1989, New York. ISSN: 0362-5850, $5.95.

Van Sweden, James, and Oehme, Wolfgang, Bold Ornamental Gardens, 1990, 1998, Washington, D.C., Spacemaker Press, 602 E Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002. $49.00, Superb illustrations. Authors are both landscape and architectural architects. Excellent section on "Glossary of Favorite Plants" with illustrations of selected grasses and plants.