Ornamental grasses are a popular addition to gardens because they are easy to grow, need no fertilizer, most are deer resistant, and their maintenance needs are minimal. Every five to seven years they may need to be divided if/when hollow centers develop. They also add movement, sound, and beauty.
However, there are so many different varieties of grasses, it can be overwhelming to determine which are the best ones to plant. Chicago Botanic Garden ran a trial of 109 varieties of ornamental grasses to determine which performed the best. They gave 25 grasses five-star ratings.
Those are listed below. Andropogon gerardii ‘Blackhawk’ and ‘Dancing Wind’ are big bluestem grasses, sometimes called turkey foot. They have colorful stems, like full sun, are drought tolerant, and grows in clumps.
Be certain you understand its full height before putting it into your garden. Molina caerulea ‘Bergfreund,’ ‘Cordoba,’ ‘Dauerstrahl,’ ’Fontane,’ ‘Heidebraut,’ ‘Moorflamme,’ ‘Moorhexe,’ ‘Poul Peterson,’ ’Skyracer,’ ‘Transparent,’ and ‘Windspiel,’ or commonly called purple moor grass, likes cool, moist soils, so be certain you have the right conditions before planting. Remember, these plants were trialed in Chicago.
Supplemental watering can help purple moor grass through hot summers. Panicum ‘Bad Hair Day,’ ‘Heavy Metal’ and ‘Northwind’is also called switch grass or panic grass. Switch grass stands up tall, although the cutely-named .