Quick Search: Warm Season Grasses - Displayed by Common Name in Ascending Order

Big Bluestem are perfect for providing height and color to the garden, coming into prime a little earlier than other ornamental grasses. The foliage of ‘Blackhawks’ emerges deep green to dark purple in spring and deepens to near black by fall here in Michigan. This grass matures a little more than a foot shorter than ‘Indian Warrior’. One of the very best Big Bluestem from hybridizer Brent Horvath.

Dubbed the "monarch of the prairie", this native grass was once the dominant component of the American tallgrass prairie. It adapts easily to a wide range of soil and moisture conditions as long as full sun is provided. This long-lived grass has a variety of uses including screening, naturalizing, restoring prairies, and nesting materials for birds and mammals.

‘Hameln’ has finely textured leaves that are especially lovely when backlit by the early morning or late afternoon sun. Soft, greenish-cream colored panicles begin to appear in midsummer, a few weeks earlier than the species.

Uniform, upright clumps of gracefully arching, deep green foliage erupt into soft rose-purple plumes from early summer until frost. Enjoy its subtle straw color in the winter.

An absolute giant of the ornamental grass world. Considered by many to be the best substitute for Pampas Grass in northern regions, they share similar plumes and height.

A brilliant grass that absolutely glows in the shade! This all-gold version of H. macra is brighter in color than Hak. m. ‘Aureola’, has a more upright habit, and is reportedly a more vigorous grower. It tends to be more chartreuse in heavier shade, and

Variegated but nearly all yellow, the leaf blades have narrow green stripes near the margins. Perhaps its most fascinating attribute is the cascading habit in which most of the leaves arch in the same direction, appearing much like a golden waterfall.

This ornamental grass is a result of an extensive Schizachyrium breeding program from Walters Gardens, Inc. and is the perfect option for those looking to add to their native or prairie garden. The habit is very upright and columnar, and maintains its upright habit through fall. At 3½ feet tall, this grass will be the perfect backdrop to your garden. True to its name, ‘Blue Paradise’ has striking silvery blue stems in summer. In the fall, this grass takes center stage as the leaves develop a deep wine purple color. In early fall, tiny tan seed heads appear on the top half of the stems.

Schizachyrium is a great choice if you are looking to restore an eroded site.This species can have blue, green, or purple leaves, all of which turn a beautiful cinnamon-red in the fall. Fluffy silvery-white seed heads begin to appear in midsummer.

A neat and tidy appearance with distinctive gold banding, ease of maintenance, and reliable bloom makes this one of the most popular new ornamental grasses on the market.'Little Zebra’ flowers reliably every year in late summer.

The new gold (banded) standard in dwarf Miscanthus. This compact Maiden Grass has green foliage with pronounced yellow banding. The habit is solidly upright like ‘Strictus’, but stands half the height. Bandwidth flowers so late in the season it rarely ever sets seed. Try this grass as an accent in the landscape or a thriller in containers. Bred at North Carolina Sate University and introduced through Darwin Perennials.

Hybridized and selected at Walters Gardens, Inc. for its flowering performance earlier in the season, ‘Encore’ is a perfect choice for northern climates, where the growing season is shorter. Since it blooms so early, this ornamental grass has a chance for an encore performance, shooting up a secondary flush of coppery purple plumes before frost hits. Blooming starts in late summer to early fall and lasts until mid-fall. The flowers turn to a creamy tan color with age. This perennial forms a tall, upright clump of dark green leaves with white midribs. Before blooming, this plant stands around 4 ½’ tall. Be sure to leave this grass standing so it can provide winter interest through the snowy months.

An excellent grass for the garden or landscape, screening or at water's edge. Striking complement to large-leaved plants or combined with berrying shrubs and evergreens for winter effect. Coppery flower plumes, beautiful cut or dried. Clump-forming.

The most profusely blooming Miscanthus. Though the green leaves with silver mid-ribs form beautiful clumps, the most outstanding feature of this new cultivar is its flowers. In late summer, a profusion of full, burgundy plumes sweep the sky.

Delightful silvery foliage forms petite, graceful clumps. Ideal for smaller gardens, landscapes or at water's edge. Excellent as a dwarf hedge or planted with broad-leaved plants or dwarf evergreens. Silver-white flower plumes are beautiful cut or dried.

An especially refined and elegant ornamental grass. Fine leaf blades are green with clean, paper-thin, white margins that give the plant a silvery cast when viewed from a distance. Many consider ‘Morning Light’ to be one of the finest Miscanthus cultivars

‘Oktoberfest’ is the gold standard in Miscanthus. The wide, deep green leaves with a white midrib form a narrowly upright tower about 4 ½’ tall before blooming.

In late summer or early fall, the foliage develops deep purple and red highlights which complement the showy flowers that emerge a rich shade of shimmering burgundy and copper, then mature into fluffy, creamy tan seed heads.

Compared to older Miscanthus like ‘Gracillimus’, this selection blooms much earlier (making it better for northern climates where the growing season is shorter) and has much improved fall color. It also develops its beautiful fall color earlier in the season.

Simply majestic, ‘Purple Baron's’ shiny, purple-burgundy foliage is the richest, darkest of all millets. Add a vertical, contrasting punch to beds of pastel pink, white, or lavender blooming annuals. Though short, ‘Purple Barron’ has a full, thick, massive habit. Birds flock to its large flower spikes right up to frost.

Bold purple foliage and deep maroon 8-12" flower plumes make a dramatic addition to your garden or landscape. Striking in large containers, at the center of a mixed planting, or as a cut flower. Seeds attract wild birds.

The striking, feathery plumes of pampas grass are prized by floral arrangers and gardeners alike. It’s even been used by float decorators for the annual Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California since the early 1900’s!

The striking, feathery plumes of pampas grass are prized by floral arrangers and gardeners alike. It’s even been used by float decorators for the annual Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California since the early 1900’s!

Considered by many to be one of the most refined of all native prairie grasses, Prairie Dropseed has a soft, fountain-like look about it. The green leaves are very narrow, almost threadlike, and grow to form an 18 inch tall clump. It often turns rich shades of gold or deep orange in the fall and then light copper to creamy tan in winter.

In late summer, soft pinkish brown flowers are produced atop thin, arching stems held high above the foliage. These panicles are filled with distinctly sweet smelling seeds which smell like ground coriander. Though it produces an abundance of seeds, it is not known to seed invasively in the landscape.

This grass is very heat and drought tolerant because it is deep rooted. It is often planted en masse as a groundcover or as a specimen.

‘Dixieland’ provides a strong white element to the landscape which is especially pronounced when planted in front of larger shrubs or evergreens. The silky pink plumes which appear in late summer are very showy.