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Zehr’s Plant Database

Browse our extensive catalog of plants to find the perfect fit for your space.

Grasses

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Avalanche Feather Reed Grass

Calamagrostis acutiflora ‘Avalanche’
A variegated feather reed grass discovered as a sport of C. ‘Karl Foerster’. It has that classic upright growth habit of Calamagrostis, with beautiful variegated foliage, a wide white center to the leaf. It holds its variegation well through the heat of the summer. The inflorescence is similar to ‘Karl Foerster’. Reaches a mature height of 3-4′, inflorescence to 5′. Once roots are established, it is quite drought tolerant. Clump forming.

Blackhawks Big Bluestem

Andropogon ‘Blackhawks’
Selection of a tough native prairie grass with interesting color variation. Black Hawks true colors begin in the cool nights of late summer as it begins to tinge red. This continues to darken through purple to a full black by the end of September.

Cool As Ice Blue Fescue

Festuca ‘Cool as Ice’
Finely textured foliage emerges light blue and intensifies through summer. Graceful clumps have good heat tolerance and attractive panicled seed heads. Prefers well-drained soils. A Brent Horvath introduction.

Evergold Japanese Sedge Grass

Carex oshimensis’Evergold’
Grown for its beautiful variegated yellow and green foliage, this sedge forms an arching clump that is perfect for the front of the shade border or lining a pathway. Easy to grow, it is resistant to deer and disease, and tolerates moist soils.
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Feather Reed Grass

Calamagrostis acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’
An upright grass up to 5′ tall with showy, feathery plumes of flowers followed by wheat colored seed heads. 2001 Perennial Plant of the Year. Clump forming.

Gold Variegated Hakone Grass

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’
This long-season ornamental grass, with brilliant yellow variegated foliage, may be used as a ground cover, a border-front specimen, a mass planting, or in a patio container. The plant offers vivid highlights in shaded areas or in evening gardens. This grass is also noted for its movement in breezes, offering a cascading effect. Partial shade is the optimum location in hot climates while more sun is suitable in cooler areas. 2009 Perennial Plant of the Year.

Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grass

Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’
‘Hameln’ is a truly dwarf, clump-forming grass. In late summer, buff-colored flower heads bloom in profusion. Graceful, fountain-like plumes slowly change color from buff to soft pinks and light maroons. One to three plants are effective in small gardens as an accent, and in larger areas, mass plantings are stunning. Provides structure to the winter garden as well as seed for birds. Not fussy about soil requirements, drought tolerant as well as insect and disease resistant.

Heavy Metal Switch Grass

Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’
An introduction from Kurt Bluemel with stiff, upright, metallic blue leaves that form a tight clump up to 3-3.5′ tall with flowers 12-16″ above the foliage. Bright yellow fall color. Clump forming.

Little Bluestem Grass

Schizachyrium scoparium
A native American prairie grass hardy to zone 4. Its name is derived from the blue color present at the base of the clump. Upright foliage reaches a height of 30″. After frost, leaves turn a rich orange-wheat color. Clump forming.

Little Fountain Japanese Silver Grass

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine Fontaine’
A nice, shorter cultivar for smaller gardens. ‘Kleine Fontaine’ reaches a height of only 3-4′, forming a tidy, arching mound of foliage. The pink tinged flowers emerge in mid-summer becoming whitish plumes lasting into autumn. Although generally thought of as zone 5, we are recommending this Miscanthus cultivar for zone 4 use based on research done by Dr. Mary Meyer from the University of Minnesota. Clump forming.

Little Zebra Grass

Miscantus sinensis ‘Little Zebra’ PP13,008
A new, more compact cultivar with foliage quite similar to ‘Zebrinus’, with distinctive gold banding on green leaves. Flowers in late summer with reddish purple plumes that rise above the foliage, eventually changing to creamy tan in autumn.

Overdam Feather Reed Grass

Calamagrostis acutiflora ‘Overdam’
A beautiful, variegated form of feather reed grass with creamy white stripes through the leaves. Slightly smaller in stature than the species, reaching a mature height of 4-6′. The variegation is most pronounced in climates with low humidity and cool summer nights. Clump forming.

Red Fountain Grass

Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’
Upright arching foliage has a purplish red color all season long becoming more intense in autumn. In midsummer, purplish pink flowers appear on long arching stems, adding an element of feathery texture. Perennial in very southern climates, red fountain grass is grown as an annual in northern climates, and can be used in garden beds and decorative container plantings.

Ribbon Grass

Phalaris arundinacea ‘Picta’
A vigorous,rhizomatous grass that forms a spreading clump of 18-24″ in height. Very attractive, highly variegated green and white leaves. Will do well in most any soil and withstands drought particularly well. Xeriscape plant.

Sapphire Blue Oat Grass

Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Saphirsprundel’
This German cultivar has bright, steel blue foliage and much improved resistance to rust. A clump forming grass, producing a tuft of blue foliage to about 2.5′ in height. Delicate flowers rise above the clump in early summer on long arching stems. Sapphire Blue Oat Grass prefers cooler weather and adequate moisture for the root system. Clump forming.

Shenandoah Switch Grass

Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’
A nice short variety for a panicum, only reaching a mature height of 3-4′. What really sets it apart from other cultivars is the incredible red hues to the leaves, making it a stand out in the garden. Full sun, well-drained soils. Clump forming.

Strawberries & Cream Ribbon Grass

Phalaris arundinacea ‘Feesey’s Form’
A beautiful improvement over straight ribbon grass, with its white striped foliage blushed with pink, even the flower spikes take on a pink blush. The pink color is strongest in spring and early summer, before bleaching out with the heat of summer. The flowers bloom in June with soft white panicles that grow 12-18″ above the foliage, mature to a pale brown, and are showy into the winter. Plant in full sun to light shade, tolerates moist soils. Rhizomatous.

Tufted Hair Grass

Deschampsia cespitosa
Deep green tufted grass that grows to 3′. A cool season, evergreen grass that is hardy in Zone 4, and worth trialing in Zone 3. Normally found in moist, boggy sites, and will do best in a moist site in partial shade. Produces delicate flowers in June that rise 2′ above the plant and remain showy into winter. Because of the fine texture of the flowers it is used in mass to enhance the effect of the flowers. Clump forming.

Variegated Moor Grass

Molinia caerulea ‘Variegata’
Forms a tidy, mounded clump with arching leaves variegated lengthwise with a cream stripe. Clump forming.