Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental Grasses
Fast growing ornamental grass plants are a great addition to any landscape looking to fill in spaces, add texture, movement, and colors during all seasons of the year. You can buy grasses online for your landscape!
There are two types of ornamental grasses used in landscaping -- warm and cool-season grasses. Warm-season grasses flourish in the spring and summer months and grow quickly. Cool-season grasses perform their best during the fall and winter months to display a gorgeous show of color and blooms when most other plants are in their dormant phase.
Our selection of plants includes large ornamental grasses and small ornamental grasses so choose the best one that fits your planting site. Does your planting site have full sun or partial shade? Does it have moist or wet soils or is it well draining? These are questions you should be asking before choosing your new grass foliage.
These perennial ornamental grass plants are low maintenance, easy to care for, and drought tolerant. The grass plants will come back year after year meaning no need to re-plant.
Some ornamental grass varieties like liriope and mondo grass will produce colorful flowers in the spring. They all act in a spreading habit and will fill the site you plant them in. Others like Muhly grass or the Miscanthus varieties will shoot up feathery plumes in fall to signal the end of summer.
Find your garden's striking foliage swaying in the wind when you plant ornamental grass gardens!
Grow Guide coming soon for information on ornamental grass care, planting, pruning ornamental grasses, and more.
Buy ornamental grasses for sale!
Ornamental Grass Care
When to Plant Ornamental Grass
The best time to plant ornamental grass is in the early spring or early fall. Spring will give it time to establish a strong root system during the active growing seasons in spring and summer. As long as you plant ornamental grasses at least 6 weeks before your first frost and provide normal care, they should be fine through winter.
How to Plant Ornamental Grass
If you are planting ornamental grass in fall, wait until the hot heat of summer dwindles down. You’ll need at least 6 weeks before your location's first frost to have roots established. Once you’ve chosen your planting site, you will want to dig a hole that's twice the size of the root ball. Next, add new well-draining soil to the bottom of the hole. Loosen the roots of the tree and place it in the hole. Backfill with the soil making sure the root ball is level with the ground.
Can You Plant Ornamental Grass in Pots?
You can plant smaller dwarf ornamental grasses in pots or containers. Small ornamental grass like liriope or daylilies will perform perfectly in containers. They will need repotting every few years as the plant outgrows its home. Ornamental grass for containers is a great option for gardeners with small spaces or no yards.
When to Prune Ornamental Grass
You can prune warm season ornamental grass in winter while the plants are dormant. You don't want to prune in spring or you'll risk cutting off the flowers. It is best to wait until the plant finishes flowering before trimming ornamental grass. For cool season grasses, you'll want to prune in late winter or early spring.
How to Prune Ornamental Grass
Leave the foliage in place until it is the best time to prune. When pruning ornamental grass, don't be scared to do a heavy prune. They are very hardy and can bounce back. You should leave at least ⅓ of the plant in place. Cut off any dead or diseased leaves and foliage to encourage new growth. A good pair of pruning shears will work just fine.
How to Divide Ornamental Grass
Dividing ornamental grass is important when the plant outgrows its current planting site. This will give you new nutrients in the soil to help the grass grow strong and healthy. When it comes time to prune the shrubs, dig up the whole root ball and separate it into as many plants as it will divide into without harming the integrity of the roots. Put in a new planting hole or give it to neighbors or friends, water thoroughly until the roots are established, and hope for the best.
How to Care for Ornamental Grass
Our evergreen ornamental grasses are easy to care for. They require a regular watering schedule the first year of planting to establish a strong root system and after that, they are mostly drought tolerant. Fertilization annually will help produce flowers and creates a strong root system. The care for these plants will depend on the type of ornamental grass it is.
How to Fertilize Ornamental Grass
The best ornamental grass fertilizer is our slow release fertilizer that will gradually release nutrients into the soil and the root system over time for 1 full year before needing fertilizer again.
Ornamental Grass Landscape Ideas
Ornamental grasses look great in the landscape. They are perennial ornamental grasses so they will come back year after year. You can create shrub borders, privacy hedges, single specimen plants, or have them in containers. Muhly grass is a pink ornamental grass that looks great on its own or planted in groups of 3.