Quick Guide to The Top 10 Ornamental Grasses

Easily recognized by their bottlebrush-like inflorescence and fine-textured foliage, these grasses add soft texture and a unique, fountain-like structure to the landscape. Most varieties also offer rich fall color, making them an eye-catching addition to middle borders and containers alike.

Full Sun | Drought Tolerant | Height: 1-4′ | Width: 1-3′

One of the earliest families to bloom, Calamagrostis produces wheat-like, panicle flowers. Its upright habit creates fantastic vertical interest in the landscape, and the seedheads hold their shape well into winter for long-lasting appeal.

Full Sun | Drought Tolerant | Height: 2-6′ | Width: 1-2′

These small, mounding, semi-evergreen grasses are perfect for low borders in the shade. They grow in a variety of colors and textures and can handle a little more shade and moisture than most. Their fine foliage and compact habit add a graceful touch to woodland gardens or a polished look that softens edges and fills gaps between larger, shade-loving plants.

Part Shade to Shade | Moisture Tolerant | Ohio Native/Nativar | Height: 12-18″ | Width: 12-18″

This short, upright grass is quite the stunner in the landscape. Foliage emerges chartreuse, with tips turning a bold red as they age, intensifying in color through the season. When backlit by the sun, the fiery tones almost glow—bringing vibrant color for a dynamic focal point amongst other perennials.

Sun to Part Shade | Drought Tolerant | Height: 18-20″ | Width: 12-18″

Hakonechloa adds elegant, cascading structure to the landscape with its short, arching habit. The bamboo-like stalks produce vibrant lemon-lime foliage providing a pop of color to the shade. It’s a reliable choice for brightening shaded areas, and works well as a groundcover, low border, or accent in containers.

Part Shade to Shade | Moisture Tolerant | Height: 1-2′ | Width: 2-3′

This iconic family, also known as Maiden Grass, is easily identifiable by its whisk-like inflorescence. It offers the largest breadth of varieties in different shapes, sizes, and habits, making it a versatile choice for both large landscapes and smaller garden spaces. With its showy blooms and tall, graceful form, and stunning fall color, Miscanthus creates a striking visual interest for three seasons in the garden.

Sun to Part Shade | Drought Tolerant | Height: 2-10′ | Width: 1-3′

One of the smallest families, Blue Fescue produces soft tufts of spiky-looking mounds. Its wheat-like inflorescence adds a touch of movement to the otherwise straight, spiky habit. The cool, silvery-blue color offers striking contrast in sunny, well-drained areas, making it ideal for rock gardens and low borders.

Full Sun | Drought Tolerant | Height: 6-12″ | Width: 12-18″

This Ohio native family grows upright and is incredibly reliable in the landscape. Tolerant of both wet and dry conditions, it thrives where others might struggle. Its golden fall color and airy seedhead inflorescence add fine, delicate texture later in the season—perfect for fall and winter interest. Bonus: The seadheads provide a fantastic food source for Ohio’s winter birds!

Full Sun | Moisture Tolerant | Ohio Native/Nativar | Height: 3-6′ | Width: 1-2′

Once established, this native grass develops deep roots that help stabilize soil and improve resilience in tough conditions. Plants emerge deep green to dark purple in summer, then darken to near black in the fall. Its distinctive “turkey foot” inflorescence adds seasonal character and makes it easy to identify.

Full Sun | Drought Tolerant | Ohio Native/Nativar | Height: 4-6′ | Width: 2-3′

Compact and colorful, this grass matures from a purple cast to deep russet, creating a striking backdrop for its delicate, silvery-white seedheads. Its deep, native roots allow it to thrive in poor soils and provide excellent erosion control. Ideal for adding vibrant fall color and offering habitat for wildlife, it’s a resilient choice for stabilizing slopes and beautifying the landscape.

Full Sun | Drought Tolerant | Ohio Native/Nativar | Height: 2-5′ | Width: 1-2′