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See 5 Native Alternatives to Feather Grass and Fountain Grass
Enjoy the movement and soft texture of these California bunch grasses in your garden, and do right by your ecosystem
Margaret Oakley
December 3, 2016
Masses of drought-tolerant bunch grasses are all the rage in California, adding softness and movement to private and public gardens alike. Their airy plumes and feathery flower stalks contrast nicely with sculptural succulents and evergreen shrubs, and catch afternoon light in the most captivating way. However, not all grasses are created equal. Some, including the invasive fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) and Mexican feather grass (Stipa tenuissima), have proved to be pests in the landscape. They will spread into your neighbor’s yard, causing consternation next door, and into the wild, causing problems for native wildlife that need the native plants they coevolved with to survive. Spreading like this ultimately leads to a loss of biodiversity.
The good news is that there are several California native bunch grasses with mass appeal that can support habitats and create the look you want for your garden. These are my top five favorite California native bunch grasses of the moment.
Not in California? Browse more ornamental grasses for the garden
The good news is that there are several California native bunch grasses with mass appeal that can support habitats and create the look you want for your garden. These are my top five favorite California native bunch grasses of the moment.
Not in California? Browse more ornamental grasses for the garden
1. Leafy Reedgrass
(Calamagrostis foliosa)
Threatened by grazing in the wild, this rare California native bunch grass will tolerate a range of soils but looks best with decent drainage. Native to California’s northern and outer northern Coast Ranges, it thrives in partial sun in hot inland sites and can handle full sun on the coast.
This dainty grass reaches a mature size of about 2 feet tall and wide, so it can be massed in groupings of three or even five in smaller urban gardens, as well as in large landscapes with lots of room for repetition.
Its leaves are blue-green, punctuated by purple streaks. In most California microclimates, it blooms from May to November. Young seed heads emerge with a silvery gleam, then become an attractively warm tan color at maturity. The seed heads weigh down the tips of the flower spikes and create an appealing fountain-like appearance.
Ripe seed heads will shatter at maturity and naturally fall away, so there’s no need to cut them unless it’s for a flower arrangement. Unlike most bunch grasses, leafy reedgrass does not respond well to being mowed or sheared.
See how to grow leafy reedgrass
(Calamagrostis foliosa)
Threatened by grazing in the wild, this rare California native bunch grass will tolerate a range of soils but looks best with decent drainage. Native to California’s northern and outer northern Coast Ranges, it thrives in partial sun in hot inland sites and can handle full sun on the coast.
This dainty grass reaches a mature size of about 2 feet tall and wide, so it can be massed in groupings of three or even five in smaller urban gardens, as well as in large landscapes with lots of room for repetition.
Its leaves are blue-green, punctuated by purple streaks. In most California microclimates, it blooms from May to November. Young seed heads emerge with a silvery gleam, then become an attractively warm tan color at maturity. The seed heads weigh down the tips of the flower spikes and create an appealing fountain-like appearance.
Ripe seed heads will shatter at maturity and naturally fall away, so there’s no need to cut them unless it’s for a flower arrangement. Unlike most bunch grasses, leafy reedgrass does not respond well to being mowed or sheared.
See how to grow leafy reedgrass
2. Deergrass
(Muhlenbergia rigens)
One of the easiest grasses for a drought-tolerant landscape, deergrass needs only room, sun and a small amount of water to be happy. It adapts to a range of soil conditions and can tolerate drought, heat, seasonal flooding and frost. This grass naturally occurs in many parts of California, Texas and Mexico.
Leave plenty of room between plantings to allow deergrass to achieve its graceful, mounded form. You will see this grass often used in both commercial and residential landscapes because of its reliability. Native peoples prized the flowering stems for basketry. Different kinds of wildlife benefit from the habitat and food deergrass provides.
In bloom, deergrass can reach 5 feet tall and wide, with a breezy, fountain-like form. It can last for years, and as it is a warm-season grass, its flowering stems appear in summer and fall. You can rake out dead growth, shear every few years to rejuvenate or just leave it alone. It’s really a fuss-free bunch grass.
See how to grow deergrass
(Muhlenbergia rigens)
One of the easiest grasses for a drought-tolerant landscape, deergrass needs only room, sun and a small amount of water to be happy. It adapts to a range of soil conditions and can tolerate drought, heat, seasonal flooding and frost. This grass naturally occurs in many parts of California, Texas and Mexico.
Leave plenty of room between plantings to allow deergrass to achieve its graceful, mounded form. You will see this grass often used in both commercial and residential landscapes because of its reliability. Native peoples prized the flowering stems for basketry. Different kinds of wildlife benefit from the habitat and food deergrass provides.
In bloom, deergrass can reach 5 feet tall and wide, with a breezy, fountain-like form. It can last for years, and as it is a warm-season grass, its flowering stems appear in summer and fall. You can rake out dead growth, shear every few years to rejuvenate or just leave it alone. It’s really a fuss-free bunch grass.
See how to grow deergrass
3. Alkali Sacaton
(Sporobolus airoides)
Alkali sacaton is a beautiful bunch grass for Southwestern gardens with even the most difficult clay or alkaline soil. Native to most of the western United States and Mexico, it occurs naturally in coastal scrub communities, deserts and seasonally moist alkaline flats.
Airy seed stalks that emerge in spring have a rose-pink hue when young and can reach up to 5 feet tall on vigorous plants. They turn to a golden color as they mature. Near the end of fall, the seed stalks shatter and disappear.
Minimal maintenance is required; however, every two years or so this bunch grass can be rejuvenated by being mowed down to 3 or 4 inches in late fall. Gardeners on the coast may notice that it needs minimal irrigation, even in the summer. In hotter interior gardens, this plant might need need some water in summer to keep it looking good.
See how to grow alkali sacaton
(Sporobolus airoides)
Alkali sacaton is a beautiful bunch grass for Southwestern gardens with even the most difficult clay or alkaline soil. Native to most of the western United States and Mexico, it occurs naturally in coastal scrub communities, deserts and seasonally moist alkaline flats.
Airy seed stalks that emerge in spring have a rose-pink hue when young and can reach up to 5 feet tall on vigorous plants. They turn to a golden color as they mature. Near the end of fall, the seed stalks shatter and disappear.
Minimal maintenance is required; however, every two years or so this bunch grass can be rejuvenated by being mowed down to 3 or 4 inches in late fall. Gardeners on the coast may notice that it needs minimal irrigation, even in the summer. In hotter interior gardens, this plant might need need some water in summer to keep it looking good.
See how to grow alkali sacaton
4. Purple Needlegrass
(Stipa pulchra)
California’s official state grass makes an excellent low-water meadow planting in home gardens, and is striking when mixed with wildflowers and summer- or fall-blooming perennials like California fuchsia (Epilobium canum) and California goldenrod (Solidago californica). Naturally occurring throughout most of the state, purple needlegrass can even be found in Baja California and the Channel Islands. It tolerates a wide range of soils, including heavy clay.
This grass forms small bunches reaching 2 to 3 feet in height and follows the rhythm of the Mediterranean-like seasons of most of California. New growth begins in the cooler, wetter winter months, and the plant shifts into dormancy in late summer or fall.
As the name implies, the fine awns of this grass are tinged with purple, and a meadow planting makes for a spectacular sunlit display. The grass emerges green in late winter and spring, and turns to a golden hue over summer.
Caution: The seeds can lodge and burrow into the fur, skin and ears of pets. Avoid this by mowing purple needlegrass before the seeds mature, to no lower than 4 inches.
See how to grow purple needlegrass
(Stipa pulchra)
California’s official state grass makes an excellent low-water meadow planting in home gardens, and is striking when mixed with wildflowers and summer- or fall-blooming perennials like California fuchsia (Epilobium canum) and California goldenrod (Solidago californica). Naturally occurring throughout most of the state, purple needlegrass can even be found in Baja California and the Channel Islands. It tolerates a wide range of soils, including heavy clay.
This grass forms small bunches reaching 2 to 3 feet in height and follows the rhythm of the Mediterranean-like seasons of most of California. New growth begins in the cooler, wetter winter months, and the plant shifts into dormancy in late summer or fall.
As the name implies, the fine awns of this grass are tinged with purple, and a meadow planting makes for a spectacular sunlit display. The grass emerges green in late winter and spring, and turns to a golden hue over summer.
Caution: The seeds can lodge and burrow into the fur, skin and ears of pets. Avoid this by mowing purple needlegrass before the seeds mature, to no lower than 4 inches.
See how to grow purple needlegrass
Golden dew tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia Cespitosa ‘Goldtau’) features chartreuse-yellow seed heads, which eventually transition to gold.
5. Tufted Hairgrass
(Deschampsia cespitosa)
Native to the east and west coasts of North America and continents beyond, tufted hairgrass is an ornamental beauty with habitat benefits to boot. Several species of North American butterflies, including the umber skipper, rely on this grass for caterpillar food. It thrives in most soil types, especially heavy clay, and tolerates full sun to partial shade, where it mixes well with the green foliage of ferns.
Tufted hairgrass features delicate flower stalks that rise 2 to 3 feet above neatly clumping leaves. The wispy, hair-like pieces that emerge out of the floret are called the awn, and the massing of awns gives the grass its hairlike appearance. The flower stalks emerge green, with purple-tinged florets, and transition to tawny tones in autumn. Ripe seed heads shatter at maturity and naturally fall away. This grass can be sheared to the ground in late winter to rejuvenate it in spring.
Many attractive garden cultivars have been introduced into the horticultural trade. If you are interested in supporting local native-plant DNA to promote biodiversity, or your garden is at a high elevation, seek out your region’s subspecies at your local native-plant nursery.
See how to grow tufted hairgrass
More
Add Softness, Light and Movement With Ornamental Grasses
9 Ways to Use Bronze Foliage in Your Garden
5. Tufted Hairgrass
(Deschampsia cespitosa)
Native to the east and west coasts of North America and continents beyond, tufted hairgrass is an ornamental beauty with habitat benefits to boot. Several species of North American butterflies, including the umber skipper, rely on this grass for caterpillar food. It thrives in most soil types, especially heavy clay, and tolerates full sun to partial shade, where it mixes well with the green foliage of ferns.
Tufted hairgrass features delicate flower stalks that rise 2 to 3 feet above neatly clumping leaves. The wispy, hair-like pieces that emerge out of the floret are called the awn, and the massing of awns gives the grass its hairlike appearance. The flower stalks emerge green, with purple-tinged florets, and transition to tawny tones in autumn. Ripe seed heads shatter at maturity and naturally fall away. This grass can be sheared to the ground in late winter to rejuvenate it in spring.
Many attractive garden cultivars have been introduced into the horticultural trade. If you are interested in supporting local native-plant DNA to promote biodiversity, or your garden is at a high elevation, seek out your region’s subspecies at your local native-plant nursery.
See how to grow tufted hairgrass
More
Add Softness, Light and Movement With Ornamental Grasses
9 Ways to Use Bronze Foliage in Your Garden
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