Ornamental Grasses for the Midwest Arranged by Common Name

Common Name Genus species Cultivar Map # Advertised Height Hardiness
Alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides 101 2-5 ft Zone 4-9
Autumn Flame Grass Miscanthus Purpurescens 39 4-5 ft Zone 4
Autumn Moor Grass Sesleria autumnalis 62 12-15" Zone 5
Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii 1 5-8 ft Zone 3
Blue Autumn Moor Grass Sesleria caerulea 63 1 ft Zone 4
Blue Grama Bouteloua gracilis 4 8-15" Zone 3
Blue Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium The Blues 61 3 ft Zone 3
Blue Lovegrass Eragrostis elliotii 19 18" Zone 5-9
Blue Lyme Grass Leymus arenarius Blue Dune 28 3-4 ft hardy
Blue Sedge Carex glauca 14 6-12" Zone 5
Blue Switch Grass Panicum virgatum Dallas Blues 48 6 ft Zone 4
Blue Switch Grass Panicum virgatum Prairie Sky 49 5 ft Zone 5
Bluejoint Grass Calamagrostis canadensis 6 3-5 ft Zone 3
Bottlebrush Grass Hystrix patula 24 2-5 ft Zone 3
Bowles Golden Sedge Carex elata Bowles Golden 13 1-2 ft Zone 5
Buffalo Grass Buchloe dactyloides 5 4-8" Zone 4
Clustered Fescue Festuca paradoxa 22 2-4 ft hardy
Common Rush Juncus tenuis Blue Dart 88 36" Zone 5
Corynephorus Corynephorus Spiky Blue 79 8"
Dwarf Fountain Grass Pennisetum alopecuroides Hameln 52 1.5-2.5 ft Zone 5-9
Dwarf Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis Little Kitten 36 4 ft Zone 5
Dwarf Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis Adagio 34 5 ft Zone 6
Dwarf Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis Little Dot 33 4-5 ft Zone 6
Dwarf Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis Yaku Jima 45 3-4 ft Zone 5
Dwarf Ribbon Grass Phalaris arundinacea Dwarf Garters 58 12-15" Zone 4
Dwarf Zebra Grass Miscanthus sinensis Little Zebra 37 4 ft Zone 6
Eastern Gamma Grass Tripsacum dactyloides 68 8 ft Zone 5
Eastern Star Sedge Carex radiata 77 1-2 ft hardy
Feather Grass Stipa lessingiana Capriccio 67 1-2 ft Zone 6
Feather Grass Stipa Pony Tails 102 Zone 5-6
Feather Reed Grass Calamagrostis x acutiflora Overdam 9 3-5 ft Zone 4
Feather Reed Grass Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl Foerster 8 3-5 ft Zone 5-9
Fescue Festuca cinerea Dwarf 20 10" Zone 4
Fescue Festuca glauca Elijah's Blue 21 6-10" Zone 4
Fescue Festuca Festina 83
Fiber Optic Grass (Annual) Isolepis cernua Live Wire 85 6-12"
Fountain Grass (Annual) Pennisetum alopercuroides Black Flower Grass 51 3-5 ft Zone 8-11
Fountain Grass (Annual) Pennisetum setaceum Tender Fountain Grass 97 2-3 ft
Fountain Grass (Annual) Pennisetum villosum Feathertop Fountain Grass 98 18-36"
Fox Red Curly Sedge Carex buchananii 11 2-3 ft Zone 5
Giant Chinese Silver Grass Miscanthus floridulus Giganteus 32 8-15 ft Zone 4-9
Golden Variegated Hakone Grass Hakonechloa macra Aureola 23 1-3 ft Zone 4
Gossamer Grass (Annual) Anemanthele Buffalo's Gold 69 unknown
Grasshopper Sedge (Annual) Carex sp. Grasshopper 10 12-16" Annual
Gray's Sedge/Mace Sedge Carex grayi 15 3 ft hardy
Greater Wood Rush Luzula sylvatica 30 20" Zone 4
Hardy Pampas Grass/Ravenna Grass Saccharum ravennae 59 14 ft Zone 6
Indian Grass Sorghastrum nutans 64 5-8 ft Zone 3
Indian Ricegrass Oryzopsis hymenoides Nezpar 94 18" Zone 5-10
Juncus Javelin (Annual) Juncus pallidus Javelin 26 5 ft Zone 7
Junegrass Koeleria cristata 27 2-6" Zone 3-9
Junegrass Koeleria Coolio 89 10-12" Zone 4-5
Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium 60 3 ft Zone 3
Lovegrass Eragrostis elliotii Wind Dancer 18 2-3 ft Zone 6
Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis Gracillimus 35 7-10 ft Zone 5
Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis Morning Light 38 7 ft Zone 5
Miniature Fountain Grass Pennisetum alopecuroides Little Bunny 53 10-12" Zone 5-9
Moor Grass Molinia arundinacea Skyracer 46 7 ft Zone 4
National Arboretum Fountain Grass Pennisetum alopecuroides National Arboretum 54 2 ft Zone 6
Northern Sea Oats Chasmanthium latifolium 78 24-48" Zone 4-9
Oehme Palm Sedge Carex muskingumensis Oehme 16 2 ft Zone 4
Oriental Fountain Grass Pennisetum orientale Karley Rose 55 4 ft Zone 6
Ornamental Corn (Annual) Zea mays japonica 103 4-6 ft
Ornamental Millet (Annual) Pennisetum glaucum Purple Majesty 96 4-5 ft
Ornamental Millet (Annual) Pennisetum glaucum Jester 95 3-4 ft
Palm Sedge Carex muskingumensis 17 2 ft Zone 4
Papyrus (Annual) Cyperus papyrus King Tut 80 4-6 ft
Pink Crystals Ruby Grass (Annual) Melinis nerviglumis Savannah 31 1-2 ft Zone 9
Porcupine Grass Miscanthus sinensis Strictus 43 4-9 ft Zone 5-9
Prairie Cord Grass Spartina pectinata 100 4-10 ft Zone 4-5
Prairie Dropseed Sporobolus heterolepsis 66 1-3 ft Zone 3
Princess Napiergrass (Annual) Pennisetum purpureum Princess 56 2-3 ft Zone 7-11
Purple Fountain Grass (Annual) Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum 57 5 ft Zone 9
Red Silver Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis Rotsilber 40 5-7 ft hardy
Red Switch Grass Panicum virgatum Shenandoah 50 4 ft Zone 5
Rough Dropseed Sporobolus aspera 65 3 ft Zone 5
Rush Juncus ensifolius Starhead 87
Rush Juncus inflexus Blue Arrows 25 3 ft Zone 5-9
Rush Luzula Lucius 91 Zone 4-6
Rush Luzula Starmaker 92 Zone 4-6
Sand Lovegrasss Eragrostis trichodes 82 2-4 ft Zone 5
Sedge Carex Prairie Fire 71 Zone 5-6
Sedge Carex Bronzita 74 Zone 5-6
Sedge Carex Red Rooster 72 Zone 5-6
Sedge (Annual) Carex Bronco 70 Zone 6-7
Sedge (Annual) Carex flagellifera Toffee Twist 76 18-24"
Sedge (Annual) Carex Amazon Mist 73 Zone 6-7
Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula 3 3 ft Zone 4
Silver Arrow Grass Miscanthus sinensis Silberfeil 42 7 ft Zone 5
Silver Feather Grass Miscanthus sinensis Silberfeder 41 7 ft Zone 4
Snowline Sedge Carex cornica Snowline 12 6" Zone 5
Sprite Koeleria Koeleria glauca Blue Sprite 90 10-12" Zone 5
Switch Grass Panicum virgatum 47 4-8 ft Zone 4
Variegated Giant Reed Arundo donax Variegata 2 14 ft Zone 6
Variegated Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis Varigatus 44 7 ft Zone 5
Virginia wild rye Elymus virginicus 81 2-3 ft Zone 3-8
Whiteroot Rush Juncus brachycarpus 86 3 ft hardy
Wild nodding fescue Festuca obtusa 84 8-18" hardy
Wolftail Lycurus setosus 93 2 ft Zone 5
Wood Rush Luzula Ruby Stiletto 29 8-12" hardy
Yellow Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans Cheyenne 99 3-5 ft Zone 4-5
Yellowfruit Sedge Carex annectens 75 2-3 ft hardy