SECTION DIVIDER GRASSES - cavicchio.com

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Calamagrostis FEATHER REED GRASS A group of mainly cool season grasses that grow most vigorously in cooler months. They plume earlier than other grasses.

x acutiflora ‘Avalanche’ Wide white leaf center accented by deep green margins. A variegated form of ‘Karl Foerster’. A cool season grass.

Height: 2’ Foliage | 4’ Plumes Zone(s): 4-8 |

x acutiflora ‘Eldorado’ A golden variegated variety with narrow leaves and wheat-like tan seed heads.

Height: 3’-5’ Foliage | 5’-6’ Plumes Zone(s): 4-7 |

x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ Columnar, cool season, green, early blooming cultivar.


x acutiflora ‘Overdam’ Cool season grass forming clumps of creamy variegated foliage and a gold inflorescence.


brachytricha A green warm season grass that produces pink feathery plumes in the fall. Can tolerate some shade.

Height: 3’ Foliage | 4’ PlumesZone(s): 4-9 |

Carex SEDGESSedges are grass-like plants that typically grow in shallow water or moist soil. They have triangular stems and spread through rhizomes.

dolichostachya ‘Kaga Nishiki’ Thin arching blades lined with a gold border. Need moisture if planted in sun. Insignificant plumes.

Height: 1’ Foliage Zone(s): 5-9 |

flacca ‘Blue Zinger’ Fine blue-green foliage that makes a good ground cover. It is drought tolerant once established. Insignificant plumes.

Height: 8”-10” Zone(s): 4-8 |

hachijoensis ‘Evergold’ Thick leathery variegated leaves are green and creamy gold. A bright accent for shady areas.

Height: 1’ Foliage | 6” Plumes Zone(s): 6-8 |

morrowii ‘Ice Ballet’ A sort of ‘Ice Dance’ with a wider cream margin. It forms a dense clump that expands slowly.


morrowii ‘Ice Dance’ A low maintenance ground cover for shade with graceful, arching, shiny, green and white variegated leaves.

Height: 8” Foliage | 6” Plumes Zone(s): 5-9 |

pensylvanica A fine textured deep green sedge that is useful in woodland gardens or shady areas. It spreads by rhizomes and is most effective in mass plantings. Blooms in May.

Height: 8” Foliage | 6” Plumes Zone(s): 4-8 | N |

Chasmanthium latifolium NORTHERN SEA OATS Loose upright clump with oat-like nodding seed heads in late July. Deep green foliage and lighter green seed heads.

Spread: 3’ Foliage | 4’ Plumes Zone(s): 5-10 | N |

‘Avalanche‘

‘Evergold‘

‘Eldorado‘

‘Ice Dance‘

‘Overdam‘

‘Blue Zinger’

‘Kaga Nishiki’

SECTION DIVIDER GRASSES

brachytricha

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63 GRASSES

GRASSESDeschampsia cespitosa TUFTED HAIR GRASS Clumping semi-evergreen grass with dark green foliage that makes a good ground cover. A cool season grass that does better in cooler climates. Flowers in early summer.

Height: 1-2’ Foliage | 1.5’ Plumes Zone(s): 4-9 | N |

‘Bronzeschleier’ Has bronze-yellow inflorescence in summer.

Height: 1’-2’ Foliage | 3’ Plumes Zone(s): 4-9 | N |

Equisetum hyemale HORSETAIL, SCOURING RUSH An ancient plant with dark green jointed stems whose rough bristles have been used as a scouring brush. Grows in moist soil at the water’s edge, in wet meadows, and in up to six inches of water. Spread by rhizomes. Likes fertile soil.

Height: 3’-4’ Foliage Zone(s): 4-9 | N |

Eragrostis spectabilis PURPLE LOVE GRASS Bluish-green grass that turns reddish-bronze in the fall. The airy late summer inflorescence is reddish-purple. Prefers a sunny dry location.


Festuca glauca BLUE FESCUE ’Elijah Blue’ A cool season clump forming grass with finely textured blue-green foliage. Plumes in May.


Hakonechloa macra JAPANESE FOREST GRASS, HAKONE GRASS All the varieties of forest grass have cascading graceful habit and prefer rich, organic, well drained soil.

‘Albo Striata’ Broad green leaves with creamy-white variegation.

Height 1’ Foliage | 1.5’ Plumes Zone(s): 5-9 |

‘All Gold’ Similar in habit to ‘Aureola’ but with no green in the leaves.

Height: 1.5’ Foliage | 2’ Plumes Zone(s): 5-9 |

‘Aureola’ 2009 Perennial Plant of the year. Gold variegated leaves.


‘Beni-kazi’ Rich green foliage turns red in the fall.


‘Fubuki’ This variety is more compact than most other cultivars. In the fall the white variegation turns pink.


Helictotrichon sempervirens BLUE OAT GRASS ‘Sapphire’ Clumping cool season grass with deep blue spiky foliage that blooms in spring.

Height: 2’ Foliage | 2.5’ Plumes Zone(s): 4-8 |

Imperata cylindricaJAPANESE BLOOD GRASS‘Red Baron’Leaves are green at the base and intense red at the tips. Grass is spread by underground stolons.

Height: 15”- 20” Foliage Zone(s): 5-8 |

‘Albo Striata’

‘Aureola’

‘Fubuki’

cespitosa


64GRASSES


sinensis ‘Graziella’ Large white blooms are produced in August over rich, slender, upright, green leaves. The foliage turns copper color in the fall.


sinensis ‘Malepartus’ One of the first Miscanthus to bloom. The large reddish-purple inflorescence turns silver in early fall. Erect habit.


sinensis ‘Morning Light’ A white variegated cultivar with slender arching foliage. Best variety for white gardens. A late blooming variety.


sinensis ‘Strictus’ Erect plant with horizontal yellow-gold bands and reddish seed heads in the fall.


sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ This large variety has three-quarter inch wide leaves with a white midrib. The silver inflorescence is held high above the foliage.


sinensis ‘Variegatus’ Masses of coppery flowers plume over creamy striped foliage. Arching habit.


var. condensatus ‘Cosmopolitan’ Large coppery-pink flowers lead to silvery white plumes over wide green leaves with creamy-white edges that form large gracefully arching clumps.


Muhlenbergia capillaris PINK MUHLY GRASS A great grass to have in the garden or in a container. It’s drought tolerant and low maintenance. Spectacular pink plumes in the fall.

Height: 3’ Foliage | 4’ Plumes Zone(s): 6-10 | N |

Juncus COMMON RUSH effusus Clump forming wetland plant with dark green round leaves. Prefers low spots in meadows or near pond edges, but is well adapted to survive in dry conditions.

Height: 3’-4’ Foliage | 4’ PlumesZone(s): 4-9 | N |

effusus ‘Big Twister’This cultivar is a mass of spiraling evergreenleaves with prostrate habit adapted to wet sites.

Height: 2’ Foliage Zone(s): 5-9 | N |

inflexus ‘Blue Arrows’This rush has rigid, upright, blue-green foliage. A wetland plant that, once established, is drought tolerant.

Height: 3’ Foliage Zone(s): 4-9 |

Leymus arenarius BLUE LYME GRASS‘Blue Dune’A salt tolerant steel blue grass that maintains its color throughout the growing season. Spreads by rhizomes and is excellent for erosion control. Will grow seaside and roadside.

Height: 2’ Foliage | 3’ PlumesZone(s): 4-9 |

Miscanthus Sun grasses with a large number of cultivars that vary in height, colors, and leaf widths that allow for many applications in the landscape.

purpurascens A green clumping grass that turns vivid reddish-orange in late summer. The magenta plumes turn white. Best used as a specimen.


sinensis ’Adagio’ Narrow silver-green leaves get pink blooms that turn white by September.


sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ Thin silver-veined leaves form a vase-shaped plant. Fall inflorescence is reddish and turns golden-yellow.

Height: 5’-6’ Foliage | 6’-7’ Plumes Zone(s): 5-9 |

‘Graziella‘effusus

‘Malepartus‘

‘Morning Light‘

‘Variegatus‘

‘Adagio‘

‘Big Twister’


65 GRASSES

GRASSESPanicum virgatum SWITCHGRASS A versatile, low maintenance, genus of grasses. They tolerate poor soil and drought, yet are highly ornamental with clouds of seed heads in the fall. They are an excellent choice for remediating landscapes.

‘Heavy Metal’ An erect blue variety that is useful in mass plantings or as a specimen.


‘Northwind’ An adaptable, upright, blue-green cultivar that can be used as a specimen or background plant. Wider foliage than ‘Heavy Metal’.

Height: 4.5’ Foliage | 5.5’ Plumes Zone(s): 4-8 | N | ‘Prairie Fire’ A red form of switchgrass. It is blue-green in the spring, turns red in the summer, and then butter-yellow in fall.


‘Prairie Sky’ Narrow clumps of stiffly upright powdery blue leaf blades that turn yellow in fall. They eventually brown in late fall and continue through winter.Flowers open dark red in midsummer then turn beige in fall.

Height: 4’-5’ Foliage | 5’ Plumes Zone(s): 4-9 |

virgatum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ A red switchgrass that is green in the spring and develops red highlights in the late summer and fall.


‘Shenandoah’ A cultivar that begins the season with red highlights which intensify through the growing season.


‘Ruby Ribbons’ A grass that changes through the season from blue-green in the spring to a maroon-red by the fall.


Pennisetum FOUNTAIN GRASS As the name implies, the grass appears to be a fountain spraying with its clumping form and arching habit. Has bottle-brush shaped plumes.

alopecuroides Forms large clump with golden-rose plumes from August to October. Turns almond color in late fall.


alopecuroides ‘Cassian’ Golden tinged foliage and creamy inflorescence with silver tips.


alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ Silvery pink plumes begin in July. One of the most popular grasses.


alopecuroides ‘Little Bunny’ The smallest of the fountain grasses.


alopecuroides ‘Red Head’ Eight-inch long reddish plumes that thrive in mid-summer.


setaceum ‘Fireworks’ A variegated purple Fountain Grass with the burgundy mid rib margined by hot pink.


setaceum ‘Rubrum’ Splendid color throughout the season with burgundy foliage and lovely maroon seed heads.


Phalaris arundinacea RIBBON GRASS ‘Strawberries and Cream’ A variegated grass that has a pink stripe appearing in the new growth. Useful in erosion control because of its vigorous growth. Can be cut back during the season to rejuvenate the foliage.

Height: 3’ Foliage | 3.5’ Plumes Zone(s): 4-9 | N |

’Cassian’

’Little Bunny’

’Fireworks’

’Rubrum’

’Shenandoah’

’Heavy Metal’

‘Rotstrahlbusch’

’Ruby Ribbons’


66GRASSES


Schizachyrium scoparium LITTLE BLUE STEM ‘The Blues’ Lovely blue foliage with red stems. The fall color is a mix of purple, orange, and deep blue. Prefers dry locations.


‘Prairie Blues’ Narrow upright gray-blue foliage turns to pinkish-orange tones in the fall with airy silvery seed heads appearing from late summer into fall.

Height: 3’ Foliage | 3.5’ Plumes Zone(s): 3-9 |

‘Standing Ovation’ Compact, drought tolerant grass that thrives in poor, dry soils. Foliage evolves from blue-green in the spring to orange, red, and yellow in the fall.


Ornamental grasses continue to be a popular choice in the landscape. Understanding them will lead to better use of these plants and avoidance of any problems. Grasses will start to grow based upon the temperature, with some grasses starting in early spring when temperatures are still cool, and others when the soil is warm and temperatures are more consistent.

Cool Season Grasses

Cool season grass will start to grow early in the spring and may sometimes remain semi-evergreen over the winter. They will also do better when temperatures are cool or if they are given sufficient water during drought periods. If they are not watered they tend to go dormant. Frequent dividing will keep these grasses looking lush and healthy. Cool season grasses include Festuca, Helictotrichon, and Deschampsia.

Warm Season Grasses

Warm season grasses thrive during warmer times of the year. They will not begin to show growth until the weather becomes stable and the soil is warm. Older growth that browns in the fall should be cut back to a few inches in the spring. However, these warm season grasses usually do not require frequent dividing the way cool season grasses do. Some warm season grasses include Carex, Chasmanthium, Erianthus, Hakonechloa, Miscanthus, Panicum, Pennisetum, Schizachyrium, and Sporobolus.

SEASONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORNAMENTAL GRASSES

‘Prairie Blues’

‘The Blues’

Sorghastrum nutans BLUE INDIAN GRASS ‘Indian Steel’ A grass that requires little maintenance. Drought tolerant and will grow in poor soil. Steel-blue foliage and showy bronze-gold plumes in the fall.


Sporobolus heterolepsis PRARIE DROPSEED Clumping medium green grass that turns orange with fine airy panicles in the fall. The grass turns creamy color in the winter. Was one of the major grasses of the Midwest prairie.

Height: 15”-24” Foliage | 36” Plumes Zone(s): 4-9 | N |


67 GRASSES

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SECTION DIVIDER GRASSES - cavicchio.com