Ornamental Grasses for the Midwest Arranged by Height

Common Name Genus Species Map # Advertised Height Zone
Buffalo Grass Buchloe dactyloides 5 4 - 8" Zone 4
Fescue Festuca glauca 'Elija's Blue' 21 6 - 10" Zone 4
Blue Sedge Carex glauca 14 6 - 12" Zone 5
Wood Rush Luzula 'Ruby Stiletto' 29 8 - 12" hardy
Blue Grama Bouteloua gracilis 4 8 - 15" Zone 3
Fescue Festuca cinerea 'Dwarf' 20 10 Zone 4
Miniature Fountain Grass Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Little Bunny' 53 10 - 12 Zone 5-9
Blue Autumn Moor Grass Sesleria caerulea 63 12 Zone 4
Dwarf Ribbon Grass Phalaris arundinacea 'Dwarf Garters' 58 12 - 15 Zone 4
Autumn Moor Grass Sesleria autumnalis 62 12 - 15 Zone 5
Grasshopper Sedge Carex sp. 'Grasshopper' 10 12 - 16 Zone 5
Pink Crystals Ruby Grass (Annual) Melinis nerviglumis 'Savannah' 31 12 - 24 Zone 9
Bowles Golden Sedge Carex elata 'Bowles Golden' 13 12 - 24 Zone 5
Capriccio Stipa Stipa lessingiana 67 12 - 24 Zone 6
Golden Variegated Hakone Grass Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' 23 12 - 36 Zone 4
Prairie Dropseed Sporobolus heterolepsis 66 12 - 36 Zone 3
Junegrass Koeleria cristata 27 12 - 72 Zone 3-9
Blue Lovegrass Eragrostis elliotii 19 18 Zone 5-9
Dwarf Fountain Grass Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' 52 18 - 30 Zone 5-9
Greater Wood Rush Luzula sylvatica 30 20 Zone 4
Oehme Palm Sedge Carex muskingumensis 'Oehme' 16 24" Zone 4
Palm Sedge Carex muskingumensis 17 24" Zone 4
National Arboretum Fountain Grass Pennisetum alopecuroides 'National Arboretum' 54 24" Zone 6
Princess Napiergrass Pennisetum purpureum 'Princess' 56 24 - 36 Zone 7-11
Fox Red Curly Sedge Carex buchananii 11 24 - 36 Zone 5
Lovegrass Eragrostis elliotii 'Wind Dancer' 18 24 - 36" Zone 6
Clustered Fescue Festuca paradoxa 22 24 - 48" hardy
Bottlebrush Grass Hystrix patula 24 24 - 60" Zone 3
Gray's Sedge/Mace Sedge Carex grayi 15 36" hardy
Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula 3 36" Zone 4
Rough Dropseed Sporobolus aspera 65 36" Zone 5
Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium 60 36" Zone 3
Juncus Blue Arrows Juncus inflexus 25 36" Zone 5-9
The Blues Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium 'The Blues' 61 36" Zone 3
Yaku Jima Dwarf Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Yaku Jima' 45 36 - 48" Zone 5
Blue Dune Lyme Grass Leymus arenarius 'Blue Dune' 28 36 - 48" hardy
Fountain Grass, National Arboretum Pennisetum alopercuroides 51 36 - 60" Zone 8-11
Overdam Feather Reed Grass Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Overdam' 9 36 - 60" Zone 4
Foerster's Feather Reed Grass Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' 8 36 - 60" Zone 5-9
Bluejoint Grass Calamagrostis canadensis 6 36 - 60" Zone 3
Shenandoah Red Switch Grass Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' 50 48" Zone 5
Oriental Fountain Grass Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose' 55 48" Zone 6
Little Kitten Dwarf Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Little Kitten' 36 48" Zone 5
Dwarf Zebra Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Little Zebra' 37 48" Zone 6
Flame Grass Miscanthus 'Purpurescens' 39 48 - 60" Zone 4
Little Dot Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Little Dot' 33 48 - 60" Zone 6
Switch Grass Panicum virgatum 47 48 - 96" Zone 4
Cloud Nine Panicum virgatum 48 - 96"
Porcupine Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus' 43 48 - 108" Zone 5-9
Purple Fountain Grass (Annual) Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' 57 60" Zone 9
Prairie Sky Switch Grass Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Sky' 49 60" Zone 5
Adagio Dwarf Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Adagio' 34 60" Zone 6
Juncus Javelin Juncus pallidus 26 60" hardy
Red Silver Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Rotsilber' 40 60 - 84" hardy
Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii 1 60 - 96" Zone 3
Indian Grass Sorghastrum nutans 64 60 - 96" Zone 3
Snowline Sedge Carex cornica 'Snowline' 12 72" Zone 5
Dallas Blues Switch Grass Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues' 48 72" Zone 4
Silver Feather Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder' 41 84" Zone 4
Silver Arrow Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeil' 42 84" Zone 5
Morning Light Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' 38 84" Zone 5
Moor Grass Molinia arundinacea 'Skyracer' 46 84" Zone 4
Variegated Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus' 44 84" Zone 5
Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' 35 84 - 120" Zone 5
Eastern Gamma Grass Tripsacum dactyloides 68 96" Zone 5
Giant Chinese Silver Grass Miscanthus floridulus 'Giganteus' 32 96 - 180" Zone 4-9
Hardy Pampas Grass/Ravenna Grass Erianthus ravennae / Saccharum ravennae 59 168 Zone 6
Variegated Giant Reed Arundo donax variegata 2 168 Zone 6