Grass or Grass-Like rnamental grasses run the gamut from Oshade dwellers to full sun lovers. They add architectural structure, movement and color to the garden, ranging from fountain-like Pennisetums and upright Molinias to cool blue Fescues. Other plants are grass-like in appearance; some not listed include Phormiums, and Cordylines, among others. But here’s a starter list:

Stipa gigantea Acorus gramineus ‘Oborozuki’ Carex laxiculmus ‘Hobb’ (‘Blue Bunny’) z6 p65 z5 p80 Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ Carex morrowii ‘Aureovariegata’ z6 p65 z5 p80 Agropyron magellanicum Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’ z5 p67 z5 p80 gerardi ‘Lord Snowdon’ Carex muskingumensis ‘Ice Fountains’ z4 p69 z3 p80 Andropogon gerardi ‘Roundtree’ Carex nigra ‘Variegata’ z3 p69 z5 p80 Arrhenatherum elatius bulbosum Carex oshimenis ‘Everillo’ ‘Variegatum’ z5 p81 Schizachyrium ‘Blaze’ Hakonechloa benikaze z5 p71 Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’ Astelia ‘Silver Shadow’ z5 p81 z8 p72 Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’ z5 p81 z4 p77 Carex phyllocephala ‘Sparkler’ Calamagrostis acutiflora ‘Eldorado’ z7 p81 z4 p78 Carex praegracilis Calamagrostis arundinacea brachytricha z5 p81 z5 p78 Carex testacea Calamagrostis foliosus z6 p81 z5 p78 Carex trifida ‘Rekohu Sunrise’ Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Avalanche’

Grass or Grass-Like Plants z7 p81 Helictotrichon ‘Sapphire’ z5 p78 Chasmanthium latifolium Carex osh. ‘Evergold’ Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ z5 p82 z4 p78 Deschampsia caespitosa ‘Northern Lights’ Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Overdam’ z4 p90 z5 p78 Deschampsia caespitosa ‘Schottland’ Carex comans ‘Frosted Curls’ z4 p90 z7 p80 Deschampsia flexuosa ‘Aurea’ Carex dolichostachya ‘Kaga nishiki’ z4 p90 z5 p80 Festuca californica Carex elata ‘Bowle’s Golden’ z7 p98 z5 p80 Festuca glauca ‘Boulder Blue’ Carex flagellifera ‘Kiwi’ z4 p98 z7 p80 Panicum v ‘Shenandoah’ Pennisetum ‘Red Buttons’ 56 Blooming Advantage Design Guide – Grass or Grass Like Plants Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ sinensis ‘Malepartus’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Cassian’ z4 p98 z5 p127 z6 p134 Festuca idahoensis ‘Siskiyou Blue’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ z5 p98 z4 p127 z6 p134 Festuca idahoensis ‘Stanislaus River’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘Puenktchen’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Little Bunny’ z5 p98 z5 p128 z6 p134 Hakonechloa macra Miscanthus sinensis ‘Rigoletto’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Moudry’ z5 p104 z6 p128 z5 p134 Hakonechloa macra ‘Albostriata’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Piglet’ z5 p104 z4 p128 z6 p134 Panicum vir. ‘Heavy Metal’ Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Redhead’ z6 p104 z5 p128 z5 p134 Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ Molinia arundinacea ‘Skyracer’ Pennisetum messiacum ‘Red Buttons’ Grass or Grass-Like Plants z5 p104 z4 p128 z6 p134 Hakonechloa macra ‘Beni Kaze’ Molinia caerulea ‘Moorflamme’ Pennisetum orientale ‘Karley Rose’ z5 p104 z5 p128 z5 p134 Hakonechloa macra ‘Naomi’ Molinia caerulea ‘Strahlenquelle’ Pennisetum orientale ‘Tall Tales’ z5 p104 z4 p128 z6 p134 Helictotrichon sempervirens Molinia caerulea subsp. Pennisetum setaceum ‘Fireworks’ z3 p106 arundinacea ‘Cordoba’ z9 p134 Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Sapphire’ z4 p128 Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ z3 p106 Molinia caerulea ‘Variegata’ Liriope ‘Silver Dragon’ z9 p134 Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’ z5 p128 Pennisetum setaceum ‘Skyrocket’ z6 p116 Nassella tenuissima z9 p134 Juncus effusus ‘Gold Strike’ z7 p129 Pennisetum spathiolatum z5 p118 Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nanus’ z8 p134 Juncus effusus ‘Unicorn’ z7 p130 Pennisetum x ‘First Knight’ z4 p118 Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Pam Harper’ z7 p135 Juncus inflexus ‘Blue Arrows’ z7 p130 ‘Blaze’ z5 p118 Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Ebony Knight’ z4 p145 Juncus ‘Occidental Blue’ z6 p130 Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Jazz’ z5 p118 Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ z5 p145 Koeleria glauca ‘Tiny Tot’ z6 p130 Ophiopogon ‘Ebony Knight’ Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’ z5 p119 ‘Cheyenne Sky’ z4 p145 Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’ z4 p133 Sesleria autumnalis z6 p124 Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’ z5 p149 Liriope muscari ‘PeeDee Ingot’ z4 p133 Sesleria caerulea z6 p124 Panicum virgatum ‘Haense Herms’ z4 p149 Liriope spicata ‘Silver Dragon’ z4 p133 Sisyrinchium angustifolium ‘Lucerne’ z5 p124 Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ z7 p150 Miscanthus ‘Huron Sunrise’ z4 p133 Sisyrinchium californicum ‘Yellow Stone’ z4 p127 Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ Miscanthus oligostachyus ‘Purpurascens’ z7 p150 z4 p133 Sisyrinchium ‘Devon Skies’ z4 p127 Panicum virgatum ‘ Sky’ Miscanthus s. ‘Malepartus’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘Blondo’ z7 p150 z4 p133 Sorghastrum ‘Indian Steel’ z5 p127 Panicum virgatum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘Cosmopolitan’ z4 p150 z4 p133 Sporobolus heterolepis ‘Tara’ z6 p127 Panicum virgatum ‘Ruby Ribbons’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘Flamingo’ z3 p151 z4 p133 Stipa gigantea z6 p127 Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gold Bar’ z6 p151 z4 p133 Stipa lessingiana ‘Capriccio’ z5 p127 Pennisetum alopecuroides Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gold Breeze’ z6 p151 z6 p134 Typha latifolia ‘Variegata’ z5 p127 Pennisetum alopecuroides z4 p154 Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine Fontaine’ ‘Burgundy Bunny’ Uncinia rubra ‘Belinda’s Find’ Panicum ‘Cheyenne Sky’ z5 p127 z6 p134 z8 p154 Blooming Advantage Design Guide – Grass or Grass Like Plants 57