Ornamental grasses for borders
Ornamental grasses that work in a planted border, with mature size, aspect and bloom time for each.
Ornamental grasses bring movement, see-through texture and a long season that carries a border well into winter. Most prefer an open position and free-draining soil; on rich, wet ground they flop. Divide the timing of your cut-back by type: deciduous grasses are sheared to the base in late winter, while evergreens are simply combed through with gloved hands to pull out the dead. Plant in generous swathes and let them mingle with upright perennials so the seed heads catch low light. The frequent error is dotting single specimens, which looks accidental. These grasses cover both the airy, transparent kinds and the denser, mound-forming types.
Border Builder is a garden border planner for iPhone and iPad. Pick from the 77 plants below and it works them into a full plan: how many of each, where they go, and how the bed reads through the seasons.
77 plants for this
- Appalachian SedgeCarex appalachica
- Autumn Moor GrassSesleria autumnalis
- Bear GrassNolina microcarpa
- Big BluestemAndropogon gerardii
- Big MuhlyMuhlenbergia lindheimeri
- Blue FescueFestuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'
- Blue Grama 'Blonde Ambition'Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition'
- Bottlebrush GrassElymus hystrix
- Bronze New Zealand SedgeCarex comans 'Bronze Form'
- Bunny Blue SedgeCarex laxiculmis 'Hobb'
- CA Meadow SedgeCarex pansa
- California FescueFestuca californica
- Canada Wild RyeElymus canadensis
- Cherokee SedgeCarex cherokeensis
- Corkscrew RushJuncus effusus 'Spiralis'
- Crested Dog's-tailCynosurus cristatus
- Deer GrassMuhlenbergia rigens
- Dwarf greenstripe bambooPleioblastus viridistriatus
- Evergold SedgeCarex oshimensis 'Evergold'
- Feather Reed GrassCalamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
- Fountain Bamboo (clumping)Fargesia nitida
- Fountain Grass 'Hameln'Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'
- Fountain Grass 'Little Bunny'Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Little Bunny'
- Fox SedgeCarex vulpinoidea
- Giant SacatonSporobolus wrightii
- Glaucous sedgeCarex flacca
- Golden Oat GrassStipa gigantea
- Gray's SedgeCarex grayi
- Idaho FescueFestuca idahoensis
- Indian GrassSorghastrum nutans
- Indian Grass 'Sioux Blue'Sorghastrum nutans 'Sioux Blue'
- Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'
- Japanese Sweet FlagAcorus gramineus 'Ogon'
- Korean Feather Reed GrassCalamagrostis brachytricha
- Little BluestemSchizachyrium scoparium
- Little Bluestem 'Standing Ovation'Schizachyrium scoparium 'Standing Ovation'
- Little Bluestem 'The Blues'Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues'
- Maiden Grass 'Gracillimus'Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus'
- Mexican Feather GrassStipa tenuissima
- Mexican Feather GrassNassella tenuissima
- Northern Sea OatsChasmanthium latifolium
- Orange sedgeCarex testacea
- Pacific ReedgrassCalamagrostis nutkaensis
- Palm SedgeCarex muskingumensis
- Pennsylvania SedgeCarex pensylvanica
- Peruvian Feather GrassJarava ichu
- Pine MuhlyMuhlenbergia dubia
- Pink Muhly GrassMuhlenbergia capillaris
- Plantain SedgeCarex plantaginea
- Prairie DropseedSporobolus heterolepis
- Purple Love GrassEragrostis spectabilis
- Purple Moor GrassMolinia caerulea 'Moorhexe'
- Purple Moor Grass 'Transparent'Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Transparent'
- Purple NeedlegrassStipa pulchra (Nassella)
- Purple Three-awnAristida purpurea
- Quaking GrassBriza media
- Sea OatsUniola paniculata
- Sedge 'Ice Dance'Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'
- Seep MuhlyMuhlenbergia reverchonii
- Sheep's fescueFestuca ovina
- Sideoats GramaBouteloua curtipendula
- Silver Grass 'Flamingo'Miscanthus sinensis 'Flamingo'
- Silver Grass 'Morning Light'Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'
- Soft RushJuncus effusus
- Starrush WhitetopRhynchospora colorata
- Sweet Vernal GrassAnthoxanthum odoratum
- Switch Grass 'Heavy Metal'Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'
- Switchgrass 'Cape Breeze'Panicum virgatum 'Cape Breeze'
- Switchgrass 'Cloud Nine'Panicum virgatum 'Cloud Nine'
- Switchgrass 'Dallas Blues'Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues'
- Switchgrass 'Northwind'Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'
- Switchgrass 'Shenandoah'Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'
- Tall Purple Moor Grass 'Skyracer'Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Skyracer'
- Texas SedgeCarex texensis
- Tufted Hair Grass 'Goldtau'Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau'
- Tussock SedgeCarex stricta
- Umbrella Bamboo (clumping)Fargesia murielae
Related collections
Perennials for bordersShrubs for bordersBulbs for bordersAnnuals for bordersClimbers for bordersOrnamental grasses for full sun