Ornamental Grasses for the Midwest Arranged by Scientific Name

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