Nothing moves like the grasses in the garden, not bamboo, iris or evergreen has the ability to rustle and bow with each wind. I love them for that reason and as fall arrives the wind will pick up and so will the movement of ornamental grasses.
The majority require full sun or at least six hours, any less might see them splay and open as they stretch for light. Additionally, the bulk of grasses are warm season growers, happiest with the warm days of summer and actively growing then. Maintenance is a single cutting back of the leaves, best left for late winter or early spring, prior to warm weather.
There are many to choose from, a few groups are popular, often seen in commercial landscapes, chosen for consistent results and a strong stamina. They also do a great job of softening hard edges. Blurring the boundaries you might say.
The single most popular group are the pennisetums or fountain grass. Flowers or plumes arrive as early as June (Pennisetum orientale), the foliage arches to all sides, fountain style. Most reach 3 to 4 feet in height with an equal or wider width. There are dwarf varieties which are also great in containers. This group will tolerate a little shade, I have seen them growing under a high canopy of trees at Embassy Row in Washington D.C. with good results.
Miscanthus are the next most popular group, commonly known as maiden grass. If I were to choose only one it would be Miscanthus 'Morning Light'. This exceptional cultivar grows 5 feet tall, plume and all and it consistently stands up to winds in fall and snow in winter. The leaf blades are narrow and variegated with a white stripe down the center. The over all look is fine and delicate, much different than most miscanthus. If any grasses have caused a problem in our area, it would be the miscanthus group, occasionally reseeding. A few are sterile (M. 'Cabaret' is one) and there are ways to have them yet avoid problems. Early flowering varieties tend to produce viable seed in our climate. Look for late flowering cultivars like M. 'Morning Light' and M. 'Zebrinus' (zebra striped miscanthus). Plant only one variety of miscanthus to avoid cross pollination. The bulk of them are self fertile, meaning they need pollen from another, different miscanthus, to produce seed.
Miscanthus 'Morning Light'
There are numerous natives, the two most popular are calamagrostis and panicum. Both outstanding grasses, calamagrostis puts out foliage that stays just below the vertical plumes. One of the first to flower (June), it's a great partner to lilium, gaura and achillea. The leaves are persistent, rustling in tightly packed clumps in winter. There are a couple of variegated forms that are especially nice.
Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'
The panicums can be found growing wild all over Virginia. Advances in the last 20 years are incredible as new cultivars have been found from the beaches of Deleware to colder areas of Pennsylvania. The only warm season grass with blue blades, some so beautiful that foliage alone warrants their planting. My favorites?... Panicum 'Dewey Blue', P. 'North Wind' (will stand up to strong winds), and P. 'Cheyenne Blue', a new dwarf that only reaches 36 inches.
Panicum 'Northwind'
On a last note, birds like to use them to escape predators and seek refuge from the cold in winter, so don't cut them down until late spring.
