Require Little Or No Supplemental Fertilizer

University of Minnesota Extension Slide Set Presentation Ornamental Grasses for Minnesota Mary H. Meyer, Professor and Extension Horticulturist, University of Minnesota May 2014

This handout is to accompany the 74 slide set Ornamental Grasses for Minnesota.

Title slide: variegated or striped corn, Zea mays ‘Variegata’; and feathertop , Pennisetum villosum Noerenberg Gardens, part of Three Rivers Park District, Molinia ‘Skyracer’ left; feather reedgrass, Calamagrostis xacutiflora ‘Karl Forester’ center, the red fall color on Schizachryium scoparium ‘MinnBlue A’ Blue Heaven TM and far right Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’. Features of Ornamental Grasses: Few insect of disease problems Require little or no supplemental fertilizer Little maintenance except spring cut-back More than one season of interest Deer resistant, whitetail deer damage is rare Fast growing Wide variation in texture, height and foliage color Movement: audio and visual blue oatgrass, Helictotrichon sempervirens hakone grass, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ with blue or pastel flowers such as Phlox divaricata ‘Charles Ricardo’ or with blue star, Laurentia axillaris ‘Blue Star’ feather reedgrass, Calamagrostis xacutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’, switchgrass

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Graziella’, Norway spruce, Picea abies ‘Acrocona Miscanthus sinensis ‘Purpurascens’, red flame miscanthus giant miscanthus, Miscanthus xgiganteus Cool Season Grass Characteristics: Almost evergreen; lawn grasses; early to grow in spring; dormant in summer; grow again in fall; brown top (flowers), green base. Warm Season Grass Characteristics: Slow to grow in spring; grow all summer; brown with first frost; like hot weather; drought tolerant.

Many grasses are hardy in USDA Zone 4 and only a few have invasive root systems.

1 Ornamental millet, ‘Jade Princess’ Spodiopogon sibiricus, silver spikegrass Calamagrostis brachytricha, fall blooming reedgrass Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea ‘Windspiel', windplay moorgrass little bluestem, Schizachryium scoparium ‘MinnBlue A’ Blue Heaven TM and ‘Tara’ prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis, prairie dropseed Pennisetum advena, is also called crimson fountaingrass

Pennisetum setaceum, annual fountain grass; Cleome ‘Senorita Rosalita’ Four main native grasses in tallgrass prairie: Big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii Indian grass, Sorgastrum nutans Little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium switch grass or Panicum virgatum

Grasses and Sedges for Shade: Carnation sedge or Carex flacca (has rhizomes) Carex elata ‘Aurea’ Bowles Golden Sedge Carex ‘Ice Dance’ Carex muskingumemsis, palm sedge Deschampsia caespitosa, tufted hairgrass Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ hakone grass

Grasses with Rhizomes: Leymus (Elymus) – blue rye Phalaris – ribbon grass Spartina – prairie cordgrass, good native for lakeshore plantings; Spartina pectinata ‘Aureomarginata Miscanthus sacchariflorus – miscanthus- not recommended, can be invasive and problematic; escaped in parts of the Midwest Miscanthus sinensis- Bunchgrass; many cultivars Miscanthus xgiganteus- Giant, no seeds, biomass interest Miscanthus sacchariflorus-rhizomes, not recommended as an ornamental

Miscanthus should only be planted in managed landscapes where it can be watched for self-seeding. See: http://horticulture.umn.edu/miscanthus

Miscanthus ‘Purpurascens’, red flame miscanthus Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’

2 Miscanthus sinensis‘Zebrinus’, right, and ‘Strictus’, left Miscanthus xgiganteus giant miscanthus

Grass Culture and Maintenance Spring planting Mature height = spacing Divide as necessary Spring cut back Winter protection for marginally hardy kinds Cool Season Grass Maintenance Rake or remove dead foliage in spring Cutback very early before new growth begins Can be mowed high Less of a problem with no cutback DO NOT BURN, unless there is no green growth showing

Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates 55 page publication is available at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum giftshop; the Minnesota State Horticultural Society; or online: http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/giftstore.aspx. For more gardening information see: www.extension.umn.edu.