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Which Ornamental Grasses Are Low Growing?
Which Ornamental Grasses Are Low Growing?. Ornamental grasses are most valuable for their ability to add texture to any landscape. They can also be quite colorful, with striped or solid-colored foliage ranging from bright green to silvery-blue. Many are also hardy, requiring only minimal care. Some are stunning, such as pampas grass, towering 12 or...
Ornamental grasses are most valuable for their ability to add texture to any landscape. They can also be quite colorful, with striped or solid-colored foliage ranging from bright green to silvery-blue. Many are also hardy, requiring only minimal care. Some are stunning, such as pampas grass, towering 12 or more feet into the sky. Others are low-growing and make excellent border plants.
Japanese Sweet Flag
This ornamental grass is a good choice for continually wet soil. Unlike many other ornamental grasses, it will not rot in standing water and can be used to control erosion. Japanese Sweet Flag (Acorus gramineus) features very fine leaves that grow up to 12 inches tall. The grass grows best in part shade. It will also grow in full sun as long as the soil is kept moist at all times. Depending on the cultivar, the evergreen leaves can range in color from green to golden yellow. 'Licorice' leaves smell like licorice.
Blue Fescue
This ornamental grass is desirable for its distinctive, silvery-blue color. Blue fescue (Festuca ovina var. glauca) thrives in cooler climates and grows in a low mound, reaching heights of between 6 and 10 inches. It is often used as a ground cover and thrives in dry soil. Although blue fescue likes cool weather, it also likes full sunlight. Blue fescue will grow in the shade, but the blue color will be much more vibrant if it receives at least a half-day's worth of sunlight. Too much heat or overly wet soil can cause the plant to experience dieback, where it begins to die from the edges inward.
Japanese Sedge
Japanese Sedge (Carex morrowii) features very slender, graceful leaves that reach about 12 inches in height. This versatile ornamental grass can grow in adverse conditions such as full shade and wet soil. Some varieties feature striped leaves. The leaves of the 'Silk Tassel' are so thin they look like strands of thread.
Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica var. rubra)
Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica var. rubra), unlike many other low growing ornamental grasses, is a spreading rather than mounding grass. This plant loves warm weather and has strikingly red leaves. It is often used in borders or in containers as an accent plant. Mature plants reach heights of around 16 inches. Japanese blood grass will grow in full sun or partial shade as long as the soil is well-draining.
