1. Characteristics of ornamental grasses
- Clumping vs stoloniferous
- Warm season (w.s.) vs cool season (c.s.) growers
- Annual vs perennial
2. Garden maintenance of ornamental grasses
- Transplanting; anytime (spring is best in very cold climates)
- Cutting back in spring; mid spring as the grasses begin to green-up at base
- Dividing old clumps; best done from mid-spring through summer
- Fertilizing; late fall or mid spring. Top dress with compost & Yum Yum Mix.
3. Design suggestions
- Use as focal points in the fall and winter garden
- Plant where afternoon sun will backlight the seed heads
- Avoid using single clumps, unless surrounded by other plants
- Mix grass species that have different mature heights
- Use in combination with shrubs, perennials, cacti and succulents
- Plant small to medium sized grasses through groundcovers
- Visually anchor large grower species with large rocks, rock walls, mounding shrubs
4. Recommended species and cultivars for New Mexico (pages 60-63, HCG catalog)
Large growing varieties
a. Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' (Maidenhair Grass); adapted, w.s. clump
b. Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus" (Maidenhair Grass); adapted, w.s. clump
c. Miscanthus sinensis 'Yaku Jima' (Dwarf Maidenhair Grass); adapted, w.s. clump
d. Helictotrichon sempervirens (Blue Avena Grass); adapted, w.s. clump
e. Panicum virgatum 'Prairie Sky' (Prairie Switchgrass); native, w.s. clump
f. Panicum virgatum 'Rehbraun' (Red Bush Switchgrass); native, w.s. clump
g. Calamagrostis arundinacea 'Karl Foerster' (Feather Reed Grass); adapted, w.s. clump
h. Calamagrostis brachytricha (Korean Feather Reed Grass); adapted, w.s. clump
i. Elytrigia elongate 'Jose Select' (Tall wheatgrass); adapted, w.s. clump
j. Sporobolis wrightii (Giant Sacatoon Grass); native, w.s. clump
k. Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem); native, w.s. clump
Medium to small growing varieties
l. Oryzopsis hymenoides 'Nezpar' (Indian Rice Grass); native, c.s. clump
m. Stipa tennuifolia (Silky Threadgrass); native, w.s. clump
n. Stipa neomexicana (New Mexico Threadgrass); native, c.s. clump
o. Aristida purpurea (Purple Thread Grass); native, c.s. clump
p. Sporobolis heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed); native, w.s. clump
q. Festuca idahoensis 'Siskiyou Blue' (Idaho Festuca Grass); native, c.s. clump
r. Festuca glauca 'Sea Urchin', 'Boulder Blue' (Blue Festuca Grass); adapted, w.s. clump
s. Schizachyrium scoparium 'Blaze', 'The Blues' (Little Bluestem); native, w.s. clump