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Height: 5 feet
Spread: 30 inches
Sunlight: full sun, partial shade
Hardiness Zone: 4a
Other Names: Uniola latifolia
Description:
This grass is grown for its lovely drooping hop-like seed heads that flutter in the wind; the seed heads mature to a purple-bronze color and make a nice accent when left on through the winter; use for fresh and dried flower arrangements
Ornamental Features:
Northern Sea Oats is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. It produces abundant clusters of purple hop-like fruit from late summer to late fall. It grassy leaves are light green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous coppery-bronze in the fall.
Landscape Attributes:
Northern Sea Oats is an herbaceous perennial grass with a shapely form and gracefully arching stems. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Northern Sea Oats is recommended for the following landscape applications:
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing:
Northern Sea Oats will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America.
Northern Sea Oats is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
Foliage turns golden orange in the fall. Clump forming. USDA 5-8
Purple bloom. Upright foliage with blue base. Fall color. Native. USDA 3-9
Patent: PP25202
Height: 4 feet
Spread: 20 inches
Sunlight: full sun
Hardiness Zone: 3a
Other Names: Little Bluestem
Description:
An excellent variety for hot, dry areas with consistent green-blue, ribbon-like foliage that takes on hues of violet-purple in fall; silvery white seed heads persist well into winter; an outstanding accent plant
Ornamental Features:
Standing Ovation Bluestem's attractive grassy leaves are dark green in color with showy silvery blue variegation and tinges of purple on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous violet in the fall. It has masses of beautiful spikes of purple flowers rising above the foliage in late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings.
Landscape Attributes:
Standing Ovation Bluestem is an herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cut back to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Standing Ovation Bluestem is recommended for the following landscape applications:
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
Planting & Growing:
Standing Ovation Bluestem will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Low, clumping, chartreuse grass-like foliage. Naturalizing. Native. USDA 3-8
Height: 5 feet
Spread: 3 feet
Sunlight: full sun partial shade
Hardiness Zone: 2b
Ornamental Features:
Switch Grass features airy plumes of rose flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer. The brick red seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from late summer to mid fall. Its grassy leaves are green in color. The foliage often turns yellow in fall.
Landscape Attributes:
Switch Grass is an herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cut back to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Switch Grass is recommended for the following landscape applications:
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing:
Switch Grass will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.
Green foliage. Pink blooms. Upright clumping. Native. USDA 5-9
Height: 24 inches
Spread: 24 inches
Sunlight: full sun, partial shade
Hardiness Zone: 5b
Other Names: Stipa tenuissima, Needle Grass
Description:
An extremely delicate looking grass that provides gentle movement and sound in even the most delicate of breezes; a textural feast in the hands of a creative garden designer
Ornamental Features:
Mexican Feather Grass features airy plumes of gold flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer. Its attractive threadlike leaves are green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous harvest gold in the fall. The gold seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from late summer to late winter.
Landscape Attributes:
Mexican Feather Grass is a dense herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration:
- Self-Seeding
Mexican Feather Grass is recommended for the following landscape applications:
- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing:
Mexican Feather Grass will grow to be about 20 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.
Airy pink blooms. Fine, threadlike foliage. Native. USDA 5-9
Rich-green fronds have a dense, upright growth habit. White, puffy plumes in late summer. USDA 4-9
Plant Height: 24 inches
Flower Height: 3 feet
Spread: 3 feet
Sunlight: full sun, partial shade
Hardiness Zone: 2a
Description:
Native to the Great Plains and Prairies, this extremely fine-textured grass features airy plumes of fine seed heads floating over the grassy foliage in the late season; ideal for restoration projects and flowing hummocky accents in the urban landscape
Ornamental Features:
Prairie Dropseed features delicate plumes of orange flowers rising above the foliage from late summer to early fall. The tan seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from early to late fall. Its threadlike leaves are light green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous harvest gold in the fall.
Landscape Attributes:
Prairie Dropseed is an open herbaceous perennial grass with a shapely form and gracefully arching stems. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Prairie Dropseed is recommended for the following landscape applications:
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
Planting & Growing:
Prairie Dropseed will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 3 feet. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America.
