13 Types of Ornamental Grass for Your Landscape

The best types of ornamental grass for your landscape fall into 3 groups: cool-season, warm-season, and evergreen varieties, each suited to different climates and spaces.

Whether you want blue oat grass for low-maintenance color or Japanese forest grass to brighten a shady corner, this guide breaks down each ornamental grass by growing condition, size, and seasonal interest, with expert insights, so you can choose ones that thrive in your climate and space.

If you’d rather skip the hassle, LawnStarter connects you with local landscaping professionals to bring your design to life.

Fast Choices by Ornamental Grass Height

Small Ornamental Grasses (<2 feet tall)	Black mondo grass  Blue oat grass  ‘Elijah Blue’ fescue  Japanese forest grass  Japanese sedge ‘Evergold’  Mexican feather grass
Medium-Sized Ornamental Grasses (2-4 feet tall)	Little bluestem Northern sea oats Pink muhly grass Purple fountain grass Tufted hair grass
Tall Ornamental Grasses (> 4 feet tall)	‘Pumila’ pampas grass Switchgrass

Note: Once you have chosen your type, learn how to care for ornamental grasses to keep them thriving season after season.

Cool-Season Ornamental Grasses

Cool-season ornamental grasses are the first to emerge in the spring and the last to dry out in the fall. They thrive in the cooler climate of the northern U.S. and are usually small to mid-sized, with plumes developing in late spring to early summer. 

1. Elijah Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’)

‘Elijah Blue’ is the most popular cultivar of blue fescue. It forms neat, dome-shaped tufts of silvery, light-blue foliage that intensifies to striking blue-gray during summer heat. This low-growing ornamental grass stays under 1 foot tall, making it ideal for groundcover, borders, or filling small spaces throughout the yard.

Pro Tip: Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart for best coverage, as this grass maintains tight clumps rather than spreading outward.

• USDA zones: 4-8

• Growing conditions: Full sun. Moist, well-drained soil.

• Size: 1 foot tall and wide

• Seasonal interest: Year-round (foliage)

Mix with: Yucca, daylily, bluebeard

2. Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima)

Mexican feather grass forms silky-green clumps topped by delicate, light green plumes. Its superfine, hair-like leaves add softness to Mediterranean gardens with architectural plants like agave and yuccas and smooth the transition between lawns and wilder areas.

Do not let the cool-season label fool you. Mexican feather grass can withstand high temperatures and is one of the best ornamental grasses for full sun and dry conditions. It is also less cold-hardy: a perennial in zones 7-10 but an annual in zones 2-6, where it dies when temperatures fall below 20 degrees.

• USDA zones: 7-10 

• Growing conditions: Full sun. Fertile, well-drained soil. 

• Size: Up to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide 

• Seasonal interest: Spring to late fall

Mix with: California poppy, columbines, and coneflowers

Note: It is a heavy seeder and considered an emerging invasive in California.

3. Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

One of the best ornamental grasses for shade, this North American native becomes a true set-it-and-forget-it plant when grown in shady areas with moist soil. What makes it special are those large, oat-like flowers that go from green to golden and warm-ivory during the season. 

Place it under dense oak trees, at the base of rainwater harvesting berms, or along streams for erosion control.

• USDA zones: 5-9

• Growing conditions: Dappled sunlight to partial shade. Moist to wet, well-drained soil.

• Size: 2-5 feet tall, 1-2 feet wide

• Seasonal interest: Spring to fall

Mix with: American beautyberry, Texas mountain laurel, Turk’s cap

Note: It is a self-seeder that can turn invasive.

4. Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia cespitosa)

Tufted hair grass grows in deep-green clumps with purplish or bronze plumes. In fall, the foliage develops subtle golden highlights, while the dried panicles provide some of the most striking winter interest among landscape grasses. 

Plant in drifts where the lawn meets deep tree shade, or use it in rain gardens. To maintain this beauty, check our guide on when to cut back ornamental grasses.

• USDA zones: 4-9

• Growing conditions: Part shade. Well-drained soil.

• Size: 2-3 feet tall, 1-2 feet wide

• Seasonal interest: Early summer to late fall

Mix with: Cardinal flower, plantain lilies, or ferns

Warm-Season Ornamental Grasses

Warm-season ornamental grasses love the heat and grow best in the South. They emerge more slowly in the spring and bloom later in the season, but they reward patience with more dramatic colors and textures. In this category you will find the best tall ornamental grasses for privacy screens.

5. Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra)

Unlike most warm-season grasses, Japanese forest grass prefers the shade and displays its most vibrant colors when shielded from direct sun. It has wide, cascading blades that turn a bright yellow-gold hue in the shade and a more faded lime hue in the sun. 

Plant it in those shady garden corners you want to illuminate. Then all you have to do is relax and enjoy the view, since it is a slow-growing ornamental grass that does not require much maintenance. 

• USDA zones: 5-10

• Growing conditions: Part to full shade. Moist, well-drained soil.

• Size: Up to 1.5 feet tall and wide

• Seasonal interest: Spring to fall

Mix with: Hostas, astilbe, heuchera

6. Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) 

Little bluestem is a resilient blue-green grass that turns reddish to yellowish-orange in the fall and provides winter interest through its tan inflorescences. 

Heather Evans, a master gardener at Design Your Wild, a garden design newsletter on Substack, says this prairie native is excellent as a background grass in “meadow-like mixes of grasses and wildflowers.” Pair it with other plants with showy seedheads, like spotted bee balm, and you have a gorgeous winter yard. 

• USDA zones: 3-9

• Growing conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

• Size: Up to 4 feet tall

• Seasonal interest: Summer to winter

Mix with: Spotted bee balm, rattlesnake master

7. Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Pink muhly grass is an upright-growing grass that fills with clouds of pink flower plumes every fall and is Evans’s “absolute favorite ornamental grass.” The high salt tolerance and ability to grow “in pure sand” makes it an ideal choice for oceanfront properties. 

“I grow it in groups of 5 and 7 on either side of my Florida driveway, which is occasionally inundated with salt water,” Evans says. She recommends mass planting “in groups or as a 3-foot border” for the best visual impact. 

• USDA zones: 5-9

• Growing conditions: Full sun. Well-drained soil. 

• Size: 3-4 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide

• Seasonal interest: Fall

Mix with: Dune sunflowers, blanket flowers, and goldenrod

8. Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) 

Purple fountain grass is a perennial ornamental with deep burgundy foliage, pink-to-purple seedheads, and a gracefully cascading form. As one of the most drought-tolerant ornamental grasses available, it thrives in xeriscapes and rock gardens with minimal water requirements.

• USDA zones: 9-11

• Growing conditions: Full sun. Well-drained soil. 

• Size: 3-5 feet tall, 2-4 feet wide

• Seasonal interest: Spring to late fall

Mix with: Russian sage, alliums, coleus

Note: Fountain grasses can spread aggressively and are treated as invasive in some regions, so check your local guidance before planting. Alternatives: ‘Karley Rose’ fountain grass (less invasive), pink muhly grass.

See Related:
— What is Xeriscaping?
— How to Make a Rock Garden

9. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Switchgrass is a tall decorative grass that forms dense, upright clumps. During summer, airy plumes emerge and the foliage transforms from green to striking blue (‘Dallas Blue’) or rich purple (‘Shenandoah’), depending on the cultivar.

Butterflies and moths rely on switchgrass for shelter and food, making it invaluable for native landscapes, meadows, and pollinator gardens.

• USDA zones: 5-9

• Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. 

• Size: 4-6 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide

• Seasonal interest: Summer and fall

Mix with: Black-eyed Susan, stonecrop, tall verbena

See Related:
— Native Grasses: Are They Right for Your Lawn?
— How to Build a Pollinator Garden

Evergreen Ornamental Grasses

Evergreen ornamental grasses maintain their color year-round and skip the annual cutback requirement. If maintenance is needed, our guide on How to Cut Back Ornamental Grasses covers the proper techniques.

10. Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’)

Black mondo grass creates visual impact with its dense, dark violet-to-black foliage and delicate pinkish-white to dark purple flowers. It is a dramatic ornamental grass that works beautifully as a border, groundcover, and edging along streams and ponds. 

For the most intense coloration, plant this low-growing ornamental grass in full sun, where the foliage develops its exquisite deep, dark hues.

• USDA zones: 4-8

• Growing conditions: Part sun to part shade. Moist, fertile, slightly acidic, well-drained soil. 

• Size: 8-12 inches tall and wide

• Seasonal interest: Year-round

Mix with: Silver mound, lamb’s ear, coral bells

11. Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens)

Blue oat grass forms bristly, tidy mounds with an elegant steel-blue color that creates powerful contrasts, whether paired with warm green foliage, bright cottage garden blooms, or the muted tones of rock garden settings. Like many other small ornamental grasses, it needs little care and is a great choice for low-maintenance landscapes.

• USDA zones: 3-8

• Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade. Dry, well-drained soil. 

• Size: 1-3 feet tall and wide

• Seasonal interest: Year-round

Mix with: Japanese anemone, turtlehead, ‘Blue Star’ juniper

12. Japanese Sedge ‘Evergold’ (Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’)

The Japanese sedge ‘Evergold’ impresses through its variegated foliage, with each blade showcasing a creamy-yellow center stripe bordered by dark green edges. This creates a bright, cascading effect that maintains vibrant color even when many other perennial ornamental grasses fade in the winter. 

Shade-tolerant by nature, this dwarf ornamental grass thrives on the north sides of buildings and under dense tree canopies. 

• USDA zones: 5-10

• Growing conditions: Part shade. Dry to moist, rich, well-drained soil.

• Size: 8-18 inches tall, 12-16 inches wide

• Seasonal interest: Bright variegated blades year-round

Mix with: Wild blue phlox, wild columbine, Heuchera americana ‘Dale Strain’

13. ‘Pumila’ Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)

When landscaping with pampas grass in a small or mid-sized yard, consider the ‘Pumila’ cultivar. It is a shorter variety, reaching up to 6 feet tall, with spectacular white, feather-like plumes that illuminate the garden. Plant it near sitting areas or as a dramatic backdrop behind garden beds.

• USDA zones: 7-11

• Growing conditions: Full sun or light shade. Dry to moist, well-drained soil. 

• Size: 4-6 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide

• Seasonal interest: Showy flower plumes late summer through winter.

Mix with: Juniper, boxwood, Verbena bonariensis

Note: Pampas grasses are considered invasive in California and other western states. Monitor for spreading runners or consider feather reed grass (Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’) instead.

See Related: How to Care for Boxwood Shrubs

FAQs

Enhance Your Garden With Expertly Selected Grasses

Choose ornamental grasses that suit your space, soil, and sunlight. Connect with a skilled landscape professional through LawnStarter and give your garden the perfect blend of color, movement, and year-round beauty.

Main Image: Purple fountain grass plumes arching gracefully in a dense garden planting. Photo Credit: Reallyice / Adobe Stock