Ornamental grasses are increasingly popular in the home landscape for several reasons. Grasses are generally easy to grow and require little maintenance. Plus, they come in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and textures, making for a diverse plant type in beds, along walkways, and even in naturalized areas.
Ornamental grasses can be environmentally friendly, too. You can find plenty of native grasses to use, but even non-native grasses tend to resist drought and need few resources. They provide habitat for wildlife and don’t typically have a lot of pests or diseases.
If you’re thinking of adding more types of ornamental grasses to your garden, one final benefit is that many look gorgeous year round. Growing ornamental grass can provide as much beauty in the snow in winter as lush, green plants can in summer. But there are certain varieties that put on an especially stunning show in fall. Let's take a look at the best ornamental grasses for fall color.
Best Ornamental Grasses for Fall Color
Many ornamental grasses change color in autumn and are hardy enough to maintain that color even after the first frost. But with so many varieties available, it can be hard to know which ones to pick. So I've made it easy and rounded up the best ornamental grasses for a fabulous fall show.
1. Little Bluestem
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a native North American prairie grass that is tough and very easy to grow. It gets its name from the blue base of the stem that fades to green toward the top.
Little bluestem is hardy in zones 3 through 9 and grows up to four feet (1.2 m) tall. It will grow even in poor soil and is both drought and heat-tolerant.
This beautiful type of blue ornamental grass blooms at the end of summer and holds onto its wispy tufts as the stems transition to shades of maroon, bronze, and orange in fall. You can find different cultivars with some variations in color.
‘Standing Ovation’ is red to maroon. ‘Blaze’ turns orange and then reddish-purple. ‘Blue Heaven’ develops into a rich burgundy in fall.
Order a Standing Ovation little bluestem plant today from the Home Depot.
2. Switchgrass
For another native meadow plant with good fall color, check out this tall stunner. Growing up to 9 feet (2.7 m) tall, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) blooms in summer with attractive flower plumes that last into fall. Grow switchgrass in full sun in zones 3 through 9. It’s not picky about soil type.
Be aware that some varieties of switchgrass offer better fall color than others. ‘Prairie Fire’ is a good option with deep, wine-red stems in fall. ‘Rehbraun’ has a reddish brown color in fall. ‘Shenandoah’ is one of the most prized varieties for rich burgundy fall color.
3. Prairie Dropseed
Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) is a native grass with a different texture and growth habit compared to bluestem and switchgrass.
Like these other ornamental native grasses, it’s easy to grow and will tolerate drought, heat, and poor soil in zones 3 through 9. But as a bonus, this is an endangered grass in some areas, so by letting it grow and develop seeds, you’ll help the plant and feed native wildlife.
Prairie dropseed grows only to about 2 feet (0.6 m) tall and has fine, thin leaves that grow in mounds, giving it a fluffy, feathery look. It flowers in summer and turns into shades of gold-orange to bronze in fall and winter.
Find prairie dropseed grass at Walmart or look for it at your local native plant nursery.
4. Pink Muhly Grass
Use pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) in areas where you want spectacular color in a smaller package. Muhly grass grows up to 3 feet (0.9 m) tall and about as wide in attractive clumps.
Native throughout North America, pink muhly grass is characterized by feathery, pink flower plumes that bloom in fall. You can reliably grow muhly grass in zones 5 through 9 and in a range of soil types.
It does best in full sun and doesn’t require a lot of water. In fact, muhly grass prefers drier conditions, so it’s a great choice for xeriscaping and for difficult, dry, rocky soils.
Make plant shopping easy and order pink muhly grass from Amazon.
5. Maiden Grass
Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) is an attractive ornamental grass that grows up to 12 feet (3.6 m) tall, depending on the variety, with a graceful, arching shape. It’s hardy in zones 5 through 9, grows slowly, and prefers moist, well-drained soil in full sun.
This plant is native to Asia and may be considered an invasive ornamental grass in your area. Be sure to check your specific locale before planting and do not to let it spread to natural areas, even if you live somewhere where it's not listed as invasive.
Maiden grass flowers bloom in late summer and early fall in a pretty coppery color that fades to silver-white in fall and winter. Leave the grass in place until spring for good winter interest.
In addition to the pretty flowers, maiden grass stems turn different colors in fall, depending on the variety. For a spectacular fall show, choose ‘Fire Dragon.’ Its fall foliage is bright red-orange, topped by feathery white flowers.
Get fiery fall color with a Fire Dragon maiden grass from Nature Hills Nursery.
6. Pheasant’s Tail Grass
Another non-native species, pheasant’s tail grass (Anemanthele lessoniana) is a smaller grass with spectacular fall color. This grass blooms in summer and the leaves turn various shades of orange, red, and yellow in fall.
Pheasant's tail grows 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 m) tall and has long, thin leaves that fall gracefully from a compact central clump. This show-stopping fall front yard plant is best for warmer gardens, as it’s only hardy in zones 8 through 10. In these areas, it is semi-evergreen.
Grow it in full sun or partial shade in nearly any soil type. Pheasant’s tail grass will tolerate drought, and although non-native, it does not aggressively reseed.
Start pheasant's tail grass with seeds from Amazon for a low-cost garden.
7. Pampas Grass
For an elegant grass, it’s hard to beat pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana), which grows up to 10 feet (3 m) tall. The stems are sturdy and upright, holding beautiful, feathery flower plumes from late summer into fall.
Depending on the variety you choose, you can get various fall colors in this fast-growing, non-native species. ‘Rosea’ and ‘Pink Feather' have stunning pink flower plumes that last well into fall. ‘Stunningdale Silver’ and ‘Ivory Feathers’ bloom with silver or white flowers in fall.
Pampas grass is easy to grow in full or partial sun in well-drained soil in zones 7 through 10. Just keep in mind that pampas grass is invasive in some areas. Be sure to check your specific growing location and do not plant if it is a problem where you live.
