Grasses, Ferns, and Groundcovers
This curated group of plants is used to add greenery to landscapes, cover wide areas of unused land, add color to otherwise monotone landscapes, and as fillers for empty spaces. This list has been divided into three groups: Grasses, Ferns, and Groundcovers. Read about each in their respective sections below.
Grasses
The following list of genera and species is a group of grasses and grass-like plants, used to add softness, structure, and form to landscapes. Grasses can be used in landscapes to cover large swaths of land with green, to give movement and height to tiered gardens, for contrasting color in beds and containers, and to line pathways and other hardscaped areas. Grasses are divided here into 5 general categories:
- Lawn Grasses: These grasses are commonly used for large or small areas and can be mown to just a few inches tall. This group includes Agrostis, Buchloe, Cynodon, Festuca, Lolium, Poa, Stenotaphrum, and Zoysia. Many of these grasses are found in lawn mixes, or are available as sod.
- Groundcover and Meadow Grasses: These grasses range in height from 1 to 3 feet tall and are great for natural lawns or meadow landscapes. This group includes species of Festuca, species of Muhlenbergia, Nassella, and Sesleria.
- Sedges for Color and Texture: These are not true grasses, but are grouped with ornamental grasses because of their similar uses. This group includes plants like Carex and Cordyline, and some species can be used as lawn substitutes.
- Small to Medium-Sized Accent Grasses: These grass-like plants have beautiful foliage or flowers. This group includes Alopecurus, Arrhenatherum, Briza, Imperata, Leymus, and Pinnisetum.
- Taller Grasses for Accents and Screens (Includes Bamboo): These plants are wonderful for creating natural screens, adding motion to gardens, and combine well with a wide variety of other plantings. This group is large, and includes Andropogon, Calamagrostis, Chasmanthium, Deschampsia, Elymus, Eragrostis, Hakonechloa, Helichtotrichon, Leymus, Melinis, Milium, Miscanthus, Molinia, Muhlenbergia and Oryzopsis.
Bamboo
|
Bouteloua
Grama Grass |
Briza
Rattlesnake Grass, Quaking Grass |
Buchloe
Buffalo Grass |
Calamagrostis
Reed Grass |
Carex
Sedge |
Chasmanthium
Sea Oats, Bamboo Grass Cenchrus alopecuroides (Chinese Fountain Grass)
|
Chondropetalum
Cape Rush |
Cordyline
|
Cymbopogon
Lemon Grass |
Cynodon
Bermuda Grass, Bermuda |
Cyperus
|
Deschampsia
|
Elegia
|
Elymus
|
Equisetum
|
Eragrostis
|
Festuca
|
Hakonechloa
Japanese Forest Grass |
Helictotrichon
Blue Oat Grass |
Imperata
Japanese Blood Grass |
Ischyrolepsis
Broom Restio |
Isolepsis
Fiber Optics Plant |
Juncus
Rush |
Leymus
Lyme Grass, Wild Rye |
Libertia
|
Liriope
|
Lolium
Ryegrass |
Melinis
Natal Ruby Grass |
Milium
Bowles' Golden Grass |
Miscanthus
Silver Grass |
Molinia
Moor Grass |
Muhlenbergia
|
Nassella
Needle Grass |
Ophiopogon
|
Panicum
Switch Grass |
Paspalum
Seashore Paspalum |
Pennisetum
Fountain Grass |
Phalaris
Ribbon Grass, Gardener's Garters |
Phormium
|
Poa
Bluegrass |
Schizachyrium
Little Bluestem |
Schoenoplectus
Zebra Rush |
Sesleria
Moor Grass |
Sorghastrum
|
Sporobolus
|
Stenotaphrum
|
Stipa
|
Uncinia
|
Xerophyllum
|
Zoysia
|
