Grasses

Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'

Height: 12 inches

Spread: 15 inches

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 4b

Other Names: Creeping Japanese Sedge

Brand: Proven Winners

Description:
A low maintenance, cool weather ornamental grass featuring fast growing plants in the early spring and fall; beautiful narrow, arching foliage with forest green centers and creamy-white margins; well suited for containers, borders or garden beds

Ornamental Features:
Ice Dance Sedge is primarily valued in the garden for its cascading habit of growth. Its attractive grassy leaves are forest green in color with prominent white stripes. The foliage often turns brown in fall.

Landscape Attributes:
Ice Dance Sedge is an herbaceous evergreen perennial grass with a shapely form and gracefully arching stems. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, 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:

- Spreading

Ice Dance Sedge is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
- Container Planting

Planting & Growing:
Ice Dance Sedge will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 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 evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant performs well in both full sun and full shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, 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 is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. 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.

Ice Dance Sedge is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a canvas of foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Andropogon virginicus

Foliage turns golden orange in the fall. Clump forming. USDA 5-8

Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'

Blue-green foliage with feathery, pinkish-white plumes in summer. Strong, upright habit. USDA 5-9

Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'

Blue-green foliage with feathery, pinkish-white plumes in summer. Strong, upright habit. USDA 5-9

Nassella tenuissima

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.

Deschampsia cespitosa

Rich-green fronds have a dense, upright growth habit. White, puffy plumes in late summer. USDA 4-9

Andropogon gerardii 'Blackhawks'

Dark green foliage turns a beautiful dark purple or near black in fall. Tolerates a wide range of soils. Good for erosion control. USDA 4-9

Helictotrichon sempervirens

Blue-green foliage with long fronds. Compact, bushy habit. USDA 4-8