11 Colorful Ornamental Grass for Fall
Fall colors are always beautiful, but what if you can have them at home? We have chosen the best colorful ornamental grasses for you to grow at home. Liven up your garden with beautifully rich fall tones.
Hair-awn muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is an ornamental grass that features pink and purple blossoms. This species is known to attract beneficial insect species and is also considered an excellent wildlife habitat plant due to its clumping behavior.
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a flowering perennial grass native to North America. Planting Switchgrass is becoming more popular recently because the plant can sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and contribute to preventing further global warming. In addition, Switchgrass can be used in industrial contexts to produce chemicals like ethanol and butanol.
New zealand flax (Phormium tenax) is an ornamental perennial that offers colorful accents year-round. Its sword-like leaves change color in fall and red or yellow tubular blossoms appear in late spring through early fall attracting hummingbirds. This low-maintenance plant prefers full sun to partial shade and will grow to 3 to 8 feet tall.
Chinese silver grass is a perennial grass that can grow 3–7 ft. It forms dense clumps from an underground rhizome. The Chinese silver grass is grown mainly as an ornamental grass, with silvery leaves and flowers that vary in color based on the cultivar. Be careful where you plant this type of grass; in some zones it can become invasive.
Blawing-grass (Molinia caerulea) is a perennial bunchgrass native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. It grows at low and high elevations, and prefers moist soil with a low pH. Blawing-grass is a hardy plant, though, so it will grow in less ideal conditions as well. The purplish color of its spikelets has lent it another name: purple moor-grass.
African fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceus) is a grass plant also commonly called crimson fountain grass. It grows throughout East Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Crimson fountain grass is drought tolerant and the existence of it increases the risk of fires. Crimson fountain grass is often considered to be an invasive species.
Vetivergrass grows to 5 ft high and form clumps as wide. The stems are tall and the leaves are long, thin, and rather rigid. The flowers are brownish-purple. The leaves can become up to 10 ft long and 0.3 in wide. The panicles are 6 in to 12 in long and have whorled, 1 in to 2 in long branches. The spikelets are in pairs, and there are three stamens.
Prairie dropseed is an attractive prairie grass that is well-suited to create borders in home gardens because it helps suppress weeds. In the wild, it has become endangered in some areas. It grows small pink or brown flowers that smell faintly like cilantro or sunflower seeds. Prairie dropseed attracts many birds, but also tends to bring in grasshoppers.
Hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra) is also called “Japanese Forest Grass.” It’s an ornamental grass that loves moist and shady places to grow. Hakone grass grows in a dense mound and grows up to 2 feet tall. It provides ground cover in shaded areas.
Pheasant’s tail grass is a highly prized ornamental grass that provides year-round interest. Its best feature is fountain-like foliage that changes color from green to yellow, golden, and red as the seasons progress.
Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora) is an ornamental, perennial grass that will grow from 3 to 6 feet tall, when in bloom. Also called the Karl Foerster. Feather reed grass grows in dense clumps and pink flowers bloom in early June, then turn gold in late summer. It prefers full sun, requires very little maintenance, and is a good garden plant.