Ornamental Grass Plants for USDA Hardiness Zone Seven

Ornamental grasses offer texture and height for garden landscapes in USDA Hardiness Zone 7. Grass plants are available in clumping and non-clumping varieties, with a variety of mature heights available for gardens. Clumping grass varieties grow from one main root crown. This variety works well in flower gardens that need some texture without invasive spreading that can happen in some non-clumping varieties.

Short Clumping

Short clumping grasses hardy in USDA Hardiness Zone 7 include blue fescue, blue oat grass and fountain grass. Blue fescue reaches a mature height of about 12 inches with thin, blue spiky blades. This plant is the perfect size around the base of tall, leggy plants or as a border. Blue oat grass reaches a mature height of about 4 feet with a spread of about 24 inches and is similar to blue fescue with the exception of growing taller. Fountain grass reaches a mature height up to 5 feet, but is generally shorter depending on the variety. This ornamental grass has bright green blades and produces plumes of foliage in late-summer that have the appearance of a flowing fountain. Blue fescue, blue oat grass and fountain grass grow best in full or part-sun conditions and prefer a well-draining soil.

Short Non-Clumping

Short non-clumping grasses reseed themselves or spread through an aggressive root system. Some varieties are little bluestem and switchgrass. Little bluestem reaches a mature height up to 3 feet with gray-green blades that turn a brilliant shade of purple, orange or red in the fall. This native prairie grass prefers full sunlight and can tolerate most types of soil. Switchgrass reaches a mature height up to 5 feet and can spread out to 3 1/2 feet. This grass variety has a metallic green color, produces delicate plumes in late summer and turns an orange-red color in fall. Switchgrass grows best in full sun to part-shade and prefers a well-draining soil. The plant is attractive to birds and deer.

Tall Clumping

Tall clumping grasses give height and a sense of structure to a garden landscape. Indian grass reaches a mature height up to 8 feet and produces blue-green blades of grass that turn a purple-blue color in the fall. Plumes with a gold or red-brown colored flower head appear in late-summer for an eye-appealing focal point in the garden. Indian grass grows best in a full sunlight area. Ravennagrass is a hardy variety that reaches a height up to 12 feet with a 6-foot-spread. The grass has thin blue-green blades with golden plumes that appear late in the growing season for an attractive plant that can hide unsightly areas in your landscape. Ravennagrass grows best in full sunlight and prefers a well-draining soil that doesn’t require heavy watering. Pampas grass adds a dramatic touch to the landscape with narrow green blades. This variety produces large feather-like plumes that reach a height up to 10 feet. Fresh-cut or dried Pampas plumes are attractive in floral arrangements. Pampas grass prefers full sunlight and will tolerate most soils.

Tall Non-Clumping

Tall non-clumping grasses for an ornamental flair in your garden includes feather reedgrass and maidengrass. Feather reedgrass is a variety that reaches a mature height up to 6 feet with dark green blades that grow upright like water reeds. This grass produces narrow, golden plumes that plant maintain shape during the winter months. Feather reedgrass grows best in full sunlight and a well-draining soil. Maidengrass produces narrow, silver-green blades that reach a height up to 10 feet. Narrow plumes appear in late summer but are not as showy as other grass varieties. Maidengrass grows well in full or partial sunlight and a well-draining soil.

 

North Carolina State University Extension: Ornamental Grasses for North Carolina

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-605.html

Birds and Blooms: Top 10 Ornamental Grasses

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Gardening/Top-10/Garden-Favorites/Top-10-Ornamental-Grasses

Midwest Living: Best Ornamental Grasses for Midwest Gardens

http://www.midwestliving.com/garden/design/ornamental-grass/#page=9