Skip to main content

MORE

Ornamental Grasses

Notes:

-- indicates plants commonly available in nurseries and/or garden centers in south Florida
© indicates Florida native plants
indicates plants that can tolerate wet soils or occasional flooding.
Click on linked scientific names for photos and/or more information.

Common name Scientific name	Size	Light	Salt tolerance	Comments
Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	5-10’	Full sun	Moderate	Perennial, upright, bunch grass forming large clumps. Stems with blue at base. Leaves blue-green in early summer, maturing to copper or orange-brown in fall. Bronze to purplish seed heads, to 3”, in late summer. Tolerates flooding in summer.
Indian wood-oats Chasmanthium latifolium	2-5’	Full sun to partial shade	None	Attractive, clump-forming grass with wide leaves and nodding, arching clusters of flat, oat-like seedheads. Resembles small sea-oats. Dried flowerheads highly prized. Also grown as groundcover in shaded areas.
Pampas grass -- Cortaderia selloana UF Fact Sheet(121KB pdf)	6-12’	Full sun	Low	Impressive, graceful, fountain-like clumps. Large, 12-18” tall plumes erupt from foliage in mid-summer. Will tolerate poorly drained soil and brief flooding. Dried flowerheads highly prized. Caution: Purple pampas grass, C. jubata, is invasive.
Lemongrass -- Cymbopogon citratus UF Fact Sheet (46KB pdf)	4-6’	Full sun to light shade	Low	Elegant, fragrant, clumping grass with thin, strap-like, yellow-green leaves that release citrus aroma when crushed. Prefers moist soil; moderate drought tolerance.
Lilyturf -- Liriope muscari UF Fact Sheet (157KB pdf)	1-2’	Partial to full shade	Moderate	Grass-like foliage and trumpet shaped flowers borne on erect stems in blue, purple, pink, or white, depending on species or cultivar. Cold tolerant. Needs freely draining soil. Mulch to control weeds.
Creeping lilyturf -- Liriope spicata UF Fact Sheet (157KB pdf) More information...	6-18”	Partial shade	Moderate	Similar to lilyturf, but creeping rather than upright habit.
Pink muhly grass, hairgrass -- Muhlenbergia capillaris UF Fact Sheet (102KB pdf)	2-3’	Full sun to partial shade	High	Compact, tuft-forming grass with fine, feather-like, pink flowerheads held high above the leaves.
Blue muhly grass Muhlenbergia lindheimeri	1-2’	Full sun	High	Similar to pink muhly grass, but with bluish-gray foliage and purplish to gray flowerheads. Prefers dry, but will tolerate wet soil. Excellent groundcover for poor, sandy soils.
Mondo grass -- Ophiopogon japonicus UF Fact Sheet	6-24”	Partial to full shade	High	Dark green to blackish, glossy leaves. Small, lavender flowers followed by iridescent, blue-black berries. Good border plant.
Beach panic grass Panicum amarum (Link is to related species)	1-2’	Full sun	High	Clumping grass with flower stalks rising above foliage. Grows well in sand. Good for beach-front.
Oriental fountain grass -- Pennisetum orientale	1-2’	Full sun to partial shade	High	Low-growing, compact fountain grass with pink or white, fluffy inflorescence in summer and fall. Prefers well-drained soil. Caution: The related P. purpureum is a FLEPPC Category I invasive plant.
Palm grass -- Setaria palmifolia	8-10’	Full sun to partial shade	Low	Evergreen, tropical grass with wide, accordian-pleated leaves that resemble palm seedlings. Greenish, cylindrical flower spike arches above leaves.
Sand cordgrass -- Spartina bakeri	4-6’	Full sun	High	Large, bunch-forming grass with thin, brownish-green, rolled, wire-like, sand-papery leaves. Highly adaptable and underutilized. Good for beach-front.
Fakahatchee grass -- © Tripsacum dactyloides	4-5’	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Large, native grass. Rich green foliage erupts from fountain-like clumps. Distinctive flowers rise above leaves on slender stems in midsummer. Easy to grow. Virtually free of pests. Prefers moist soil, but has good drought tolerance.
Dwarf fakahatchee grass -- © Tripsacum floridana UF Fact Sheet (82KB pdf)	2-4’	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Native grass similar to T. dactyloides, but smaller.