C. conica ‘Snowline’, C. dolichostachya
‘Kaga Nishiki’, C. elata ‘Aurea’ (‘Bowles
Golden’), C. morrowii ‘Ice Dance’, and C.
oshimensis ‘Evergold’. If winter hasn’t
been kind to them, they may be cut
back in spring; otherwise, only minor
grooming will be necessary. All of the
above except C. buchananii will do well
in part shade. Chasmanthium latifo-
lium (zones 3–8) is a fine-textured,
mid-sized grass with olive-green
bamboolike foliage. Cut it back in the
early spring before new growth begins.
Can reseed heavily. Chondrosum gracile,
more commonly known as Bouteloua
gracilis (zones 3–10), is a warm-season
grower to 15 in. It is easy to grow in full
sun in any soil, wet or dry. It reseeds
freely. Blue grama grass can also be
maintained as a 2–3-in. turfgrass by
regular mowing. C. gracile ‘Blonde
Ambition’ has pale yellow plumes
instead of the usual purple. Deschamp-
sia cespitosa (zones 4–9) is a cool-
season grower to 3 ft. Tufted hair grass
likes moist soil and tolerates part
shade. The basal foliage is semi-
evergreen in protected locations. D.
cespitosa ‘Northern Lights’ is a more
compact form with variegated leaves.
Elymus hystrix (zones 5–9) is also
known as bottlebrush grass. A low-care,
robust, but interesting addition to the
garden, it requires minimal or no
pruning. Festuca glauca (zones 4–8) is a
cool-season grower to 12 in. It tolerates
light shade but prefers full sun and
likes heat but hates high humidity.
Plants are short-lived in the Southeast.
Remove spent flower spikes if you find
them distracting. Blue fescue requiresminimal spring pruning; if you do
shear, don’t cut plants any closer than
3–4 in. from the crown. ‘Elijah Blue’ is a
relatively durable selection.
Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ (zones
5–9) is a warm-season grower to 18 in. It
needs shade in most parts of the United
States This variegated Japanese forest
grass grows slowly and seldom needs
division; if you choose to divide
established plants, do it in early spring,
not fall. The leaves of H. macra ‘All Gold’
(zones 5–9) are entirely yellow; it’s
fast-growing, robust, and slightly taller
than ‘Aureola’. Miscanthus sinensis
(zones 5–9) is a warm-season grower
and is represented by an extensive
array of selections ranging in size from
4–9 ft. Avoid early-blooming maiden
grasses like ‘Adagio’ and ‘Malepartus’
in the southeastern and mid-Atlantic
states, where they can become rampant
reseeders; late-blooming ‘Gracillimus’
and ‘Morning Light’ are safer. Plants
often remain attractive all winter.
Mealybug can be a problem. Mis-
canthus ‘Purpurascens’, of uncertain
parentage, has silvery white plumes
and leaves that turn orange and red in
the fall. It rarely reseeds. Molinia
caerulea ‘Skyracer’ (zones 5–8) is a
cool-season grower that forms a tuft of
basal foliage 2–3 ft. tall topped by airy
plumes in July to 7 ft. It doesn’t have
much of a winter presence, as the
stalks break off at the crown in rainy or
snowy weather late in the season. The
old foliage is essentially self-cleaning;
just gather up the leaves in early winter.
‘Skyracer’ purple moor grass prefers
moist soil. It is a slow-growing but(left to right) Schizachyrium
scoparium; Hakonechloa macra
‘Aureola’; Molinia caerulea
‘Skyracer’; Elymus hystrix