This compact selection forms a small, upright clump of striking blue-green leaves; airy heads of dark red flowers appear on plumes in late summer; perfect as an accent or massed in borders

Shenandoah Reed Switch Grass features airy plumes of rose flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer. Its attractive grassy leaves are green in color with prominent ruby-red tips. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous burgundy in the fall. The brick red seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from late summer to mid fall. The brick red stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

An attractive clumping ornamental grass with fine-textured, silver-green blades that turn golden-bronze after first frost. A great specimen for adding texture to shrub borders and perennial beds, or for massing as a screen.

Variegated Silver Grass features bold plumes of rose flowers rising above the foliage in late summer. Its attractive grassy leaves are green in color with showy tan variegation. The foliage often turns yellow in fall. The silver seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from early fall to late winter. The tan stems can be quite attractive.

Big Bluestem, a native grass of the Midwestern prairie, has been rediscovered as a useful and beautiful landscape plant. Drought tolerant and easy to maintain, it is a natural choice for prairie, meadow and naturalistic plantings. But, Andropogon gerardii is also great as a background or accent in mixed plantings. Big Bluestem is especially interesting when in bloom - its curiously shaped seed heads resemble upside-down turkey feet.

Morning Light Maiden Grass features bold plumes of coppery-bronze flowers rising above the foliage in late summer. Its attractive grassy leaves are green in color with distinctive white edges. The foliage often turns tan in fall. The creamy white seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from early fall to late winter.

Adagio Maiden Grass features dainty plumes of pink flowers rising above the foliage in late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. The white seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from early fall to late winter. Its grassy leaves are silver in color. The foliage often turns yellow in fall. The olive green stems can be quite attractive.

Autumn Moor Grass' attractive grassy leaves are steel blue in color on a plant with a spreading habit of growth. The foliage often turns bluish-green in fall.

Standing Ovation Bluestem's attractive grassy leaves are dark green in color with showy silvery blue variegation and tinges of purple on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous violet in the fall. It has masses of beautiful spikes of purple flowers rising above the foliage in late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings.

Shortbeak Sedge is primarily valued in the garden for its interestingly mounded form. It features airy spikes of chartreuse flowers rising above the foliage in mid spring. Its attractive grassy leaves remain forest green in color throughout the season.

Big Blackhawk Bluestem brings the bold, sweeping drama of the prairie into the home garden. This stately native grass forms tall, upright clumps that climb to three to five feet, adding vertical structure and graceful movement wherever it’s planted. Native to the central and eastern United States, it thrives in full sun and lean, dry soil, growing tougher and more drought-tolerant with each passing season. As autumn arrives, its green blades take on warm coppery-bronze tones that catch the late-season light and persist into winter. Songbirds feed on its seed heads through the cold months, and it’s seldom browsed by deer. Plant it in sweeping masses on a sunny slope or as a living screen—it’s prairie grandeur at its finest.

Maiden Flame Grass brings sweeping, architectural presence to the sunny garden, its graceful arching clumps of narrow blades catching every breeze with a soft, rustling shimmer. Growing three to five feet tall, it becomes a bold focal point or a sweeping screen on a sunny slope, lending movement and rhythm to the landscape from midsummer onward. Pale feathery plumes emerge in late summer and persist beautifully into winter, when the seed-laden stems become a welcome resource for songbirds foraging through the cold months. It establishes readily in full sun with average moisture and needs very little attention beyond a single cutback in late winter to make room for fresh growth. Deer and rabbits reliably pass it by, and its tolerance for a range of soil conditions—including sites near black walnut trees—makes it broadly adaptable in the Midwest landscape. Plant it in generous masses where the plumes can catch the low light of a September afternoon.

Switch Grass is a prairie native from the Great Lakes region that brings easy, four-season beauty to the sunny garden—and genuine ecological value along with it. From summer into fall, its upright clumps of dark green blades support airy clouds of fine-textured flower panicles that catch the light and move beautifully in a breeze. Come autumn, the foliage transitions through warm shades of yellow-gold and copper-bronze before settling into tawny buff tones that persist through winter. Birds flock to the seed heads for reliable late-season forage, giving this grass genuine wildlife value beyond its good looks. It forms a tidy, non-spreading clump reaching three to five feet tall and handles challenging conditions with remarkable equanimity—drought, black walnut, deer, and erosion-prone slopes are no match for it. Mass plant it in a meadow-style border or naturalized area for maximum impact with minimum effort.

Blue Joint Grass is one of the more abundant native grasses on the continent. It blooms in late spring to early summer with pink-green seeds that are attractive but not highly ornamental. Spreading quickly by shallow rhizomes in moist to wet soils, Blue Joint Grass can help to stabilize stream banks.

Ravenna Grass features airy plumes of coppery-bronze flowers with a purple flare at the ends of the stems in late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive grassy leaves are grayish green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous harvest gold in the fall. The gray seed heads are carried on showy plumes with silver overtones, which are displayed in abundance from early fall to late winter.

In early summer, Tufted Hair Grass erupts into a shimmering cloud of fine, airy flower panicles that catch the light and sway with the slightest breeze, lending soft movement to the garden. Below, it forms a neat, fountain-like clump of slender deep-green blades that stays tidy throughout the season. A cool-season grass native to our region’s moist meadows and open woods, it settles easily into local gardens and thrives with steady, moderate moisture. The golden seed heads hold their beauty into fall and feed visiting songbirds, while its fibrous roots make it a fine choice for stabilizing slopes. Deer and rabbits pass it by, so the planting stays full and graceful. Sweep it through a bed as a flowing groundcover, or let a single clump shine as a textural accent.

Uniform, upright clumps of gracefully arching, deep green foliage erupt into soft rose-purple plumes from early summer until frost. Enjoy its subtle straw color in the winter.