Ornamental Grasses That Like Full Shade

Ornamental grasses are fuss-free plants that often grow where other garden plants struggle to survive, such as in full shade. All garden areas that receive no direct sunlight are categorized as full shade, though light levels can vary in those areas. Under tree canopies and other overhanging structures, little or no indirect sunlight is present, and the shade is dense. Other full-shade areas are open to the sky and receive indirect or reflected light, such as from a wall. Ornamental grasses growing in full-shade spots that receive indirect or reflected light are most likely to succeed.

Tall ornamental grasses provide structure and height, and several varieties grow in full-shade spots.

An example is diarrhena (Diarrhena mandshurica), which grows in clumps 2 to 4 feet tall and wide and is hardy outdoors all year in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. A woodland plant, diarrhena spreads through underground stems and grows into large colonies in moist, rich soil. In summer, its flower stems bearing tiny, green flowers rise 8 to 12 inches above the grass blades or leaves, and hard, brown seed heads appear in fall.

Scottish tufted hair grass (Deschampsia caespitosa 'Schottland'), another tall ornamental grass for full shade, is 4 feet in height with its delicate, yellow flower stems that appear from early summer through midsummer. The flowers are followed by golden-bronze seed heads in fall. The rest of the year, Scottish tufted hair grass' dark-green, evergreen leaves grow in clumps 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9, this ornamental grass grows best in slightly acidic, evenly moist soil.

Scottish tufted hair grass grows well in containers.

Ornamental grasses that grow up to 3 feet tall and wide cover plenty of ground without overwhelming other plants.

Dwarf papyrus (Cyperus papyrus 'Dwarf Form') is a shady garden option that grows quickly to 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, and features feathery "heads" on long stalks. This evergreen grass is hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11 and also grows well as a container plant. A potted dwarf papyrus can be a houseplant, spending all year indoors, or it can only overwinter in a cool room indoors and spend the rest of the year outdoors. In either case, its container must have bottom drainage holes.

American beakgrain (Diarrhena obovata), another medium-height selection for shade, is named for the shape of its hard, brown seed heads, which taper to a beaklike point. Growing in clumps 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, American beakgrain has shiny, bright-green leaves that turn golden in fall and fade to tan in winter. Drooping flower stems 4 to 12 inches long appear above its leaves in midsummer. American beakgrain is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8.

American beakgrain and dwarf papyrus grow best in evenly moist or wet soil.

Short ornamental grasses, reaching 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall, provide long-term interest with little care.

Gold fountains sedge (Carex dolichostachya 'Kaga Nishiki'), for example, brightens shady spots with its gold-edged, green leaves that grow in fountainlike mounds. Hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9, gold fountains sedge grows 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide, and thrives in damp or wet soil.

Dwarf fern-leaf bamboo (Pleioblastus pygmaeus) grows 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall and 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 feet wide. It offers green stems with purple leaf nodes and palm-shaped, bright-green leaves with serrated edges. Growing best in medium moisture and freely draining soil, dwarf fern-leaf bamboo is hardy in USDA zones 5 through 10.

Dwarf fern-leaf bamboo is very invasive. Grow this plant in a container that has bottom drainage holes, or surround the in-ground plant with plastic root barrier to prevent it from spreading.

Supplying weed-suppressing ground cover, dwarf ornamental grasses offer the benefit of a lawn without the intensive labor required for lawn care.

Dwarf mondo grass 'Gyoku-ryu' (Ophiopogon japonicus 'Gyoku-ryu'), which is hardy in USDA zones 7 through 10, grows 3 inches tall and 3 to 12 inches wide in clumps and has dark-green, grasslike leaves. In summer, very small, pale lavender blooms appear on its small stalks, but they're difficult to see among the leaves. 'Gyoku-ryu' grows well in average, medium-moisture soil.

Another dwarf variety is spring sedge _'_Beatlemania' (_Carex caryophyllea '_Beatlemania'), which features narrow, slightly curling leaves with gold edges and grows in clumps 6 inches tall. Hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9,_'_Beatlemania' is evergreen in warm climates and grows best in moist soil.