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Turfgrass Information

Ornamental Grasses for the Midwest Arranged by Common Name

Common NameGenus speciesCultivarMap #Advertised HeightHardiness
Alkali sacatonSporobolus airoides 1012-5 ftZone 4-9
Autumn Flame GrassMiscanthusPurpurescens394-5 ftZone 4
Autumn Moor GrassSesleria autumnalis 6212-15"Zone 5
Big BluestemAndropogon gerardii 15-8 ftZone 3
Blue Autumn Moor GrassSesleria caerulea 631 ftZone 4 
Blue GramaBouteloua gracilis 48-15"Zone 3
Blue Little BluestemSchizachyrium scopariumThe Blues613 ftZone 3 
Blue LovegrassEragrostis elliotii 1918"Zone 5-9
Blue Lyme GrassLeymus arenariusBlue Dune283-4 fthardy
Blue SedgeCarex glauca 146-12"Zone 5
Blue Switch GrassPanicum virgatumDallas Blues486 ftZone 4
Blue Switch GrassPanicum virgatumPrairie Sky495 ftZone 5
Bluejoint GrassCalamagrostis canadensis 63-5 ftZone 3
Bottlebrush GrassHystrix patula 242-5 ftZone 3
Bowles Golden SedgeCarex elataBowles Golden131-2 ftZone 5
Buffalo GrassBuchloe dactyloides 54-8"Zone 4
Clustered FescueFestuca paradoxa 222-4 fthardy
Common RushJuncus tenuisBlue Dart8836"Zone 5
CorynephorusCorynephorusSpiky Blue798" 
Dwarf Fountain GrassPennisetum alopecuroidesHameln521.5-2.5 ftZone 5-9
Dwarf Maiden GrassMiscanthus sinensis Little Kitten364 ftZone 5
Dwarf Maiden GrassMiscanthus sinensis Adagio345 ftZone 6
Dwarf Maiden GrassMiscanthus sinensis Little Dot334-5 ftZone 6
Dwarf Maiden GrassMiscanthus sinensis Yaku Jima453-4 ftZone 5
Dwarf Ribbon GrassPhalaris arundinaceaDwarf Garters5812-15"Zone 4
Dwarf Zebra GrassMiscanthus sinensisLittle Zebra374 ftZone 6
Eastern Gamma GrassTripsacum dactyloides 688 ftZone 5
Eastern Star SedgeCarex radiata 771-2 fthardy
Feather GrassStipa lessingianaCapriccio671-2 ftZone 6
Feather GrassStipaPony Tails102 Zone 5-6
Feather Reed GrassCalamagrostis x acutiflora Overdam93-5 ftZone 4
Feather Reed GrassCalamagrostis x acutifloraKarl Foerster83-5 ftZone 5-9
FescueFestuca cinerea Dwarf2010"Zone 4
FescueFestuca glauca Elijah's Blue216-10"Zone 4
FescueFestucaFestina83  
Fiber Optic Grass (Annual)Isolepis cernua Live Wire856-12" 
Fountain Grass (Annual)Pennisetum alopercuroidesBlack Flower Grass513-5 ftZone 8-11
Fountain Grass (Annual)Pennisetum setaceumTender Fountain Grass972-3 ft 
Fountain Grass (Annual)Pennisetum villosumFeathertop Fountain Grass9818-36" 
Fox Red Curly SedgeCarex buchananii 112-3 ftZone 5
Giant Chinese Silver GrassMiscanthus floridulus Giganteus328-15 ftZone 4-9
Golden Variegated Hakone GrassHakonechloa macra Aureola231-3 ftZone 4
Gossamer Grass (Annual)AnemantheleBuffalo's Gold69 unknown
Grasshopper Sedge (Annual)Carex sp.Grasshopper1012-16"Annual
Gray's Sedge/Mace SedgeCarex grayi 153 fthardy
Greater Wood RushLuzula sylvatica 3020"Zone 4
Hardy Pampas Grass/Ravenna GrassSaccharum ravennae 5914 ftZone 6
Indian GrassSorghastrum nutans 645-8 ftZone 3
Indian Ricegrass Oryzopsis hymenoidesNezpar9418"Zone 5-10
Juncus Javelin (Annual)Juncus pallidusJavelin265 ftZone 7
JunegrassKoeleria cristata 272-6"Zone 3-9
JunegrassKoeleriaCoolio8910-12"Zone 4-5
Little BluestemSchizachyrium scoparium 603 ftZone 3
LovegrassEragrostis elliotii Wind Dancer182-3 ftZone 6
Maiden GrassMiscanthus sinensisGracillimus357-10 ftZone 5
Maiden GrassMiscanthus sinensisMorning Light387 ftZone 5
Miniature Fountain GrassPennisetum alopecuroidesLittle Bunny5310-12"Zone 5-9
Moor GrassMolinia arundinaceaSkyracer467 ftZone 4
National Arboretum Fountain GrassPennisetum alopecuroidesNational Arboretum542 ftZone 6
Northern Sea OatsChasmanthium latifolium 7824-48"Zone 4-9
Oehme Palm SedgeCarex muskingumensis Oehme162 ftZone 4
Oriental Fountain GrassPennisetum orientale Karley Rose554 ftZone 6
Ornamental Corn (Annual)Zea mays japonica 1034-6 ft 
Ornamental Millet (Annual)Pennisetum glaucum Purple Majesty964-5 ft 
Ornamental Millet (Annual)Pennisetum glaucum Jester953-4 ft 
Palm SedgeCarex muskingumensis 172 ftZone 4
Papyrus (Annual)Cyperus papyrusKing Tut804-6 ft 
Pink Crystals Ruby Grass (Annual)Melinis nerviglumisSavannah311-2 ftZone 9
Porcupine GrassMiscanthus sinensisStrictus434-9 ftZone 5-9
Prairie Cord GrassSpartina pectinata 1004-10 ftZone 4-5
Prairie DropseedSporobolus heterolepsis 661-3 ftZone 3
Princess Napiergrass (Annual)Pennisetum purpureumPrincess562-3 ftZone 7-11
Purple Fountain Grass (Annual)Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum575 ftZone 9 
Red Silver Maiden GrassMiscanthus sinensisRotsilber405-7 fthardy
Red Switch GrassPanicum virgatum Shenandoah504 ftZone 5
Rough DropseedSporobolus aspera 653 ftZone 5
RushJuncus ensifoliusStarhead87  
RushJuncus inflexusBlue Arrows253 ftZone 5-9
RushLuzulaLucius91 Zone 4-6
RushLuzulaStarmaker92 Zone 4-6
Sand LovegrasssEragrostis trichodes 822-4 ftZone 5
SedgeCarexPrairie Fire71 Zone 5-6
SedgeCarexBronzita74 Zone 5-6
SedgeCarexRed Rooster72 Zone 5-6
Sedge (Annual)CarexBronco70 Zone 6-7
Sedge (Annual)Carex flagelliferaToffee Twist 7618-24" 
Sedge (Annual)CarexAmazon Mist73 Zone 6-7
Sideoats gramaBouteloua curtipendula 33 ftZone 4
Silver Arrow GrassMiscanthus sinensis Silberfeil427 ftZone 5
Silver Feather GrassMiscanthus sinensisSilberfeder417 ftZone 4
Snowline SedgeCarex cornicaSnowline126"Zone 5
Sprite KoeleriaKoeleria glaucaBlue Sprite9010-12"Zone 5
Switch GrassPanicum virgatum 474-8 ftZone 4
Variegated Giant ReedArundo donaxVariegata214 ftZone 6
Variegated Maiden GrassMiscanthus sinensisVarigatus447 ftZone 5
Virginia wild ryeElymus virginicus 812-3 ftZone 3-8
Whiteroot RushJuncus brachycarpus 863 fthardy
Wild nodding fescueFestuca obtusa 848-18"hardy
WolftailLycurus setosus 932 ftZone 5
Wood RushLuzulaRuby Stiletto298-12"hardy
Yellow Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutansCheyenne993-5 ftZone 4-5
Yellowfruit SedgeCarex annectens 752-3 fthardy