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Ornamental Grasses

Need help identifying ornamental grass

14 years ago

We planted an ornamental grass early this summer and it's now starting to bloom with tall golden grasses coming out from the top. We were just looking for an ornamental grass with no blooms that reaches about 3-5' tall. Anyone know what the difference is between these and what the name is of the one we're really looking for? It's hard to find this online.. most sites don't describe if and how the plant changes throughout the year.

Also - what is the best time to plant? Is August too late? THANKS!!

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Comment (1)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
14 years ago
All grasses bloom. That's how plants reproduce themselves....by producing flowers, then seeds and all will attempt to do so at some point in their life cycle. Some OG's are less inclined to produce flowers/seedheads routinely and some will produce flowers/seedheads that are barely noticeable but all will attempt to go through their normal reproduction cycle at some point.

Taller growing OG's -- Miscanthus, Panicums, Calamagrostis, etc. -- tend to have more noticeable blooms than a lot of shorter growing grasses or sedges. And they are pretty reliable in producing them every season......the flower plumes/seedheads are one of the primary features folks grow them for!

I don't know what OG to suggest for you as I doubt it exists. There are some grass-like plants that produce flowers very infrequently (phormiums, bamboos) but they are unlikely to be appropriate for your purpose either due to lack of hardiness or height and vigor. You can cut off the budding flowers as they become apparent but that's not easy to do with affecting the natural appearance of the grass.

Have you seen this "non-blooming" grass somewhere? Can you post photos? That could help with an ID.
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It is a cultivar of Miscanthus sinensis and there's not all that many with a thin white midrib - the blades are too wide for 'Morning Light' (and the size seems off), which is arguably the most popular and widely planted form, so possibly 'Sarabande'. Would need a close up of the foliage and flowerheads to say for sure. And there's a lot more to ornamental grass ID than just the flowering strucure, but it is definitely a good place to start narrowing things down :-))
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My guess a miscanthus. Try posting this on the regular site. You might get more responces.
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I suggest spending some time studying the Ornamental Grass Comparison Chart (link below) listed by Bluestem.ca They specialize in grasses for cold climates, and their website has tons of good information and photographs. Also look at their Landscape Uses section, to find lists of grasses for specific landscape conditions. Here is a link that might be useful: Ornamental Grass Comparison Chart
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There are both evergreen and deciduous (herbaceous) grasses - typically the deciduous ones get cut back in late winter or early spring and the evergreen ones do not. Deciduous grasses - in general - grow taller than evergreens and produce very showy seedheads. They also turn straw-colored in late fall and winter. Evergreen grasses tend to hold their color year round. Bronze colored grasses are most often of the genus Carex and are considered evergreen (or everbronze). Also most of the blues will be evergreen as well - the fescues, helichtotricon, elymus, etc. These only need occasional grooming to remove old fronds. Most grasses propagate easily from division which is typically done in spring. Some will self seed easily as well - like the bronze carex. Many named cultivars produce few or sterile seeds so harvesting may be futile. Blue coloring can vary from species to species and cultivar to cultivar - some will hold color better than others. In a hot, dry summer climate it is pretty common to have fescues and oat grass fade in their color intensity. btw, the Darke book is essential if you have an interest in growing OG's.
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