6 Drought-Tolerant Ornamental Grasses That Thrive Almost Anywhere – and Are Easy, Breezy Even in the Summer Heat

Drought-tolerant ornamental grasses are a boon in our landscapes. They save time and money on watering as well as reduce the demand on our water resources – and they look good doing it!

Ornamental grasses add movement, color, and structure to a landscape. Many of them provide four seasons of interest and also provide nesting areas and food for wildlife. These grasses survive periods without rain due to their deep network of roots that seek out water far below. Their deep roots also serve as erosion control.

If you haven’t added any low-maintenance ornamental grasses to your yard yet, I’ve rounded up the best ones to try that are drought-tolerant and perfect for almost any landscape. Add them to a rock garden, to a privacy screen, in a mass planting, or simply as a focal point. These tough yet beautiful ornamental grasses pack an extra punch in the landscape.

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1. Little Bluestem

Little bluestem is a highly-prized landscape grass not only for its drought tolerance, but its beauty in the landscape. An Eastern North American native ornamental grass, its erect, bluish stems turn a warm, copper color in fall, complemented by purplish-bronze seed heads.

Growing 2 to 4 feet (0.6-1.2 m) tall, little bluestem grass tolerates high heat and humidity in addition to its excellent drought tolerance. It provides seeds and cover for wildlife and is a host plant for several butterflies and moths. Hardy to USDA zones 3 to 9, plant little bluestem in average, well-drained soil in full sun.

Get little bluestem grass for your garden from Fast Growing Trees online.

2. Blue Grama

Blue grama grass grows in a clump form to about 12 to 15 inches (30-38 cm). In midsummer, its flowering stems reach up to 2.5 feet (0.8 m) tall. The distinctive seed heads hang on one side of the stems like flags, giving it a whimsical appearance.

Foliage turns golden brown in fall, sometimes tinged with orange and red. The blonde, dried seed heads persist through winter. Hardy in USDA zones 3 to 10, plant blue grama in sandy to rocky soil in full sun.

Get 'Blonde Ambition' blue grama grass online from Nature Hills Nursery.

3. Ruby Muhly Grass

Growing about 2 feet (0.6 m) tall, muhly grass blooms in late summer to autumn with a show-stopping pink cloud hovering over the grass. Seed heads follow, turning tawny brown, along with the foliage, in winter.

Hardy to USDA zones 5 to 9, this Oklahoma and Texas native plant thrives in rocky, shallow, but well-drained soil in full sun to light shade. It tolerates heat, humidity, and drought.

Buy pink muhly grass in bulk from the Home Depot to quickly fill in your landscape fast.

4. Purple Love Grass

This warm-season grass grows all summer then produces florets that bloom above its green foliage, creating a dramatic haze of reddish-pink. Purple love grass performs best in dry, poor soils in sunny sites, growing about 2 feet (0.6 m) tall.

Besides being drought tolerant, it withstands salt on winter roads and even tolerates juglone from the black walnut tree. This North American native is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9.

Buy purple love grass plants that are ready to transplant from Garden Goods Direct.

5. Indian Grass

A warm-season perennial, Indian grass does most of its growing during the summer, reaching 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2 m) tall. Its blue-green leaves retain its color until the first frost date. Yellow inflorescences bloom in late summer to fall, swaying above the foliage. Fall brings colors of yellow-orange.

Native to the Southeastern US, it provides cover for wildlife and seeds for backyard songbirds. Hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9, grow Indian grass in dry, poor soil in full sun.

Start Indian grass from seed with these seeds from Walmart.

6. Blue Oat Grass

This western Mediterranean native brings steel blue, arching leaves to a mid-sized, cool-season ornamental grass. Similar to blue fescue, blue oat grass is larger and stouter. Besides being drought tolerant, it also resists deer, salt, and rabbits.

Hardy to USDA zones 4 to 8, it prefers full sun to part shade and dry, well-drained soil. Blue oat grass remains showy in all four seasons where winters are mild.

You can get ready-to-plant blue oat grass online from Amazon.