Recommended Ornamental Grasses for North Central Texas

Common Name
Botanical Name
Size
Plant Character
Color
Exposure
Drought Tolerant
Water
Comments
Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium 3-6 ft ornamental grass Perennial; Bunchgrass Blue-green stems in August; red by Sept. Sun , part shade High Low Attracts butterflies
Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii 3-6 ft grass Perennial; bunchy, sod-forming Blue-green stems; fall foliage Sun Yes Low Attracts butterflies
Indian Grass Sorghastrum nutans 3-8 ft Perennial; bunching Blue-green blades, plume-like golden brown seedhead; deep orange to purple fall color Sun Medium Medium water  
Eastern Gamma Tripsacum dactyloides 2-3 ft; can grow 10 ft tall Perennial. Evergreen. Purple stigmas, orange stamens. Male and female flowers Sun, part shade Low Medium to high water  
Side-Oats Gamma Bouteloua curtipendula 2-3 ft Perennial. Bunchy, sod-forming grass. Purplish oat-like spikelets bleach to a tan color in fall Part shade Medium Medium water Texas state grass. Cold tolerant. Attracts butterflies.
Dropseed Sporobolus             7 dropseed grasses on wildflower2.org. No idea which this is without more complete common or botanical name
Switch Panicum virgatum 3-6 ft Perennial. Clump forming. Open lacy-sprays with small seeds Aug-Oct. Reddish-purple seedhead. Fall color is pale yellow Sun, part shade Medium Medium water  
Carex Sedge family Ornamental;     Sun, part shade No   without a botanical name, it is impossible to pick one grass; 36 alone on www.wildflower2.org
Buffalo Buchloe dactyloides 2 - 10 in; can be used in the landscape as turfgrass Perennial; warm season Gray/green; tan in winter Sun Yes Needs 12" yearly Attracts butterflies. Butterfly larval host.
Lindheimer's Muhly Muhlenberiga lindheimeri 2-5 ft Perennial; bunchgrass Seedheads are silvery Sun, part shade High Medium water Cold tolerant
Bushy Bluestem Andropogon glomeratus 3-6 ft Perennial The sheaths surrounding the racemes take on orange-salmon color in fall Sun Low High water  
Inland Sea-Oats Chasmanthium latifolium 2-4 ft Perennial; clump-forming, large oat-like flower spikelets Blue-green, bamboo-like leaves can turn bright yellow-gold in sunny sites in fall Part shade Medium Medium water  
Maiden Grass 'Morning Light' Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' 6 ft. Deciduous variegated grass green with white stripe Full Sun Medium Medium Adapted
 

© 2003-2010 Collin County Master Gardeners Association
Contact the webmaster