Annual broom corn grass is planted in summer to yield brooms by fall. As lawns go dormant just in time for Halloween, ornamental grasses sweep onto center stage bringing grace, motion, dramatic visual displays, and even new sounds and fragrances to the garden.

Ornamental grasses, members of the Poaceae family of plants, present a broad and vibrant color show from red to pink to purple; from gold to copper to bronze; from blue to silver to grey with flowerheads, foliage, and seed heads. Some flowerheads may be airy and open like the floating flowers of purple muhly grass. In contrast pampas plumes are like dense feather dusters.

Since grasses come in all sizes and shapes, they can be used from small patio planters to the largest of landscapes. Growth habits include mounded, tufted, fountaining, and erect. Cite fragrant vanilla grass, Hierochloe odorata, and edible lemon grass, Cymbopogon citratus, near human traffic. Taller grasses can be used to define your property line and create privacy.

Variegated Japanese silver grass, Miscanthus sinensis “Variegata” When selecting grasses, it is important to know whether the specimen is clump–forming like pampas or spreading like liriope. Clumpers stay where they are put and are desirable for beds and borders. The creeping roots of spreaders provide good ground cover and erosion control. They form dense screens and hedges but need yearly division to control their destination.

The easy to care for hardy perennial grasses do well in ordinary garden soil with good drainage. Most prefer full–sun. Once planted, grasses need little aftercare. Most do not require fertilizer. Exceptions are the large grasses like pampas and eulalia, which require fertilizer to maintain vitality. Ornamental grasses have few pests and disease problems.

Pink muhly grass grows 24”–36” tall. Light mulching around the soil of grasses is helpful in suppressing weeds and maintaining moisture. Bamboos may be mulched with their own leaves and canes to return silica to the plant.

Annual grooming of grasses comes in late winter or early spring when stems are cut back close to ground level and debris is removed from the center of clumps. Wear protective gloves and eyewear since leaf blades can be razor sharp.

Full–service garden centers and nurseries in Columbia have a wide variety of ornamental grasses awaiting your inspection.

Broomcorn Grass

A fun to grow annual grass is broomcorn, a sorghum panicle used to make witch’s brooms, whiskbrooms, and floor brooms. Benjamin Franklin is credited with introducing the plant to the United States. Grow broom corn in the summer here to yield fibers for making brooms next fall.
Miscanthus “Super stripe”
Muhlingergia “White Cloud” is heat and drought tolerant.
Fuzzy fountain grass panicles (Pennisetum) in mixed bed