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Turfgrass Information

Ornamental Grasses for the Midwest Arranged by Scientific Name

Genus speciesCultivarCommon NameMap #Advertised HeightHardiness
Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem15-8 ftZone 3
AnemantheleBuffalo's GoldGossamer Grass (Annual)69 unknown
Arundo donaxVariegataVariegated Giant Reed214 ftZone 6
Bouteloua curtipendula Sideoats grama33 ftZone 4
Bouteloua gracilis Blue Grama48-15"Zone 3
Buchloe dactyloides Buffalo Grass54-8"Zone 4
Calamagrostis canadensis Bluejoint Grass63-5 ftZone 3
Calamagrostis x acutiflora OverdamFeather Reed Grass93-5 ftZone 4
Calamagrostis x acutifloraKarl FoersterFeather Reed Grass83-5 ftZone 5-9
CarexPrairie FireSedge71 Zone 5-6
CarexBroncoSedge (Annual)70 Zone 6-7
Carex annectens Yellowfruit Sedge752-3 fthardy
Carex buchananii Fox Red Curly Sedge112-3 ftZone 5
Carex cornicaSnowlineSnowline Sedge126"Zone 5
Carex elataBowles GoldenBowles Golden Sedge131-2 ftZone 5
Carex flagelliferaToffee Twist Sedge (Annual)7618-24" 
Carex glauca Blue Sedge146-12"Zone 5
Carex grayi Gray's Sedge/Mace Sedge153 fthardy
Carex muskingumensis Palm Sedge172 ftZone 4
Carex muskingumensis OehmeOehme Palm Sedge162 ftZone 4
Carex radiata Eastern Star Sedge771-2 fthardy
Carex sp.GrasshopperGrasshopper Sedge (Annual)1012-16"Annual
CarexBronzitaSedge74 Zone 5-6
CarexAmazon MistSedge (Annual)73 Zone 6-7
CarexRed RoosterSedge72 Zone 5-6
Chasmanthium latifolium Northern Sea Oats7824-48"Zone 4-9
CorynephorusSpiky Blue(Annual)798" 
Cyperus papyrusKing TutPapyrus (Annual)804-6 ft 
Elymus virginicus Virginia wild rye812-3 ftZone 3-8
Eragrostis elliotii Blue Lovegrass1918"Zone 5-9
Eragrostis elliotii Wind DancerLovegrass182-3 ftZone 6
Eragrostis trichodes Sand Lovegrasss822-4 ftZone 5
Festuca cinerea DwarfFescue2010"Zone 4
Festuca glauca Elijah's BlueFescue216-10"Zone 4
Festuca obtusa Wild nodding fescue848-18"hardy
Festuca paradoxa Clustered Fescue222-4 fthardy
FestucaFestinaFescue83  
Hakonechloa macra AureolaGolden Variegated Hakone Grass231-3 ftZone 4
Hystrix patula Bottlebrush Grass242-5 ftZone 3
Isolepis cernua Live WireFiber Optic Grass (Annual)856-12" 
Juncus brachycarpus Whiteroot Rush863 fthardy
Juncus ensifoliusStarheadRush87  
Juncus inflexusBlue ArrowsRush253 ftZone 5-9
Juncus pallidusJavelinJuncus Javelin (Annual)265 ftZone 7
Juncus tenuisBlue DartCommon Rush8836"Zone 5
Koeleria cristata Junegrass272-6"Zone 3-9
Koeleria glaucaBlue SpriteSprite Koeleria9010-12"Zone 5
KoeleriaCoolioJunegrass8910-12"Zone 4-5
Leymus arenariusBlue DuneBlue Lyme Grass283-4 fthardy
LuzulaLuciusRush91 Zone 4-6
Luzula sylvatica Greater Wood Rush3020"Zone 4
LuzulaStarmakerRush92 Zone 4-6
LuzulaRuby StilettoWood Rush298-12"hardy
Lycurus setosus Wolftail932 ftZone 5
Melinis nerviglumisSavannahPink Crystals Ruby Grass (Annual)311-2 ftZone 9
MiscanthusPurpurescensAutumn Flame Grass394-5 ftZone 4
Miscanthus floridulus GiganteusGiant Chinese Silver Grass328-15 ftZone 4-9
Miscanthus sinensisStrictusPorcupine Grass434-9 ftZone 5-9
Miscanthus sinensisSilberfederSilver Feather Grass417 ftZone 4
Miscanthus sinensisRotsilberRed Silver Maiden Grass405-7 fthardy
Miscanthus sinensisGracillimusMaiden Grass357-10 ftZone 5
Miscanthus sinensisVarigatusVariegated Maiden Grass447 ftZone 5
Miscanthus sinensis SilberfeilSilver Arrow Grass427 ftZone 5
Miscanthus sinensisMorning LightMaiden Grass387 ftZone 5
Miscanthus sinensisLittle ZebraDwarf Zebra Grass374 ftZone 6
Miscanthus sinensis Little KittenDwarf Maiden Grass364 ftZone 5
Miscanthus sinensis AdagioDwarf Maiden Grass345 ftZone 6
Miscanthus sinensis Little DotDwarf Maiden Grass334-5 ftZone 6
Miscanthus sinensis Yaku JimaDwarf Maiden Grass453-4 ftZone 5
Molinia arundinaceaSkyracerMoor Grass467 ftZone 4
Oryzopsis hymenoidesNezparIndian Ricegrass 9418"Zone 5-10
Panicum virgatumDallas BluesBlue Switch Grass486 ftZone 4
Panicum virgatum Switch Grass474-8 ftZone 4
Panicum virgatum ShenandoahRed Switch Grass504 ftZone 5
Panicum virgatumPrairie SkyBlue Switch Grass495 ftZone 5
Pennisetum alopecuroidesNational ArboretumNational Arboretum Fountain Grass542 ftZone 6
Pennisetum alopecuroidesHamelnDwarf Fountain Grass521.5-2.5 ftZone 5-9
Pennisetum alopecuroidesLittle BunnyMiniature Fountain Grass5310-12"Zone 5-9
Pennisetum alopercuroidesBlack Flower GrassFountain Grass (Annual)513-5 ftZone 8-11
Pennisetum glaucum Purple MajestyOrnamental Millet (Annual)964-5 ft 
Pennisetum glaucum JesterOrnamental Millet (Annual)953-4 ft 
Pennisetum orientale Karley RoseOriental Fountain Grass554 ftZone 6
Pennisetum purpureumPrincessPrincess Napiergrass (Annual)562-3 ftZone 7-11
Pennisetum setaceumTender Fountain GrassFountain Grass (Annual)972-3 ft 
Pennisetum setaceum RubrumPurple Fountain Grass (Annual)575 ftZone 9 
Pennisetum villosumFeathertop Fountain GrassFountain Grass (Annual)9818-36" 
Phalaris arundinaceaDwarf GartersDwarf Ribbon Grass5812-15"Zone 4
Saccharum ravennae Hardy Pampas Grass/Ravenna Grass5914 ftZone 6
Schizachyrium scoparium Little Bluestem603 ftZone 3
Schizachyrium scopariumThe BluesBlue Little Bluestem613 ftZone 3 
Sesleria autumnalis Autumn Moor Grass6212-15"Zone 5
Sesleria caerulea Blue Autumn Moor Grass631 ftZone 4 
Sorghastrum nutans Indian Grass645-8 ftZone 3
Sorghastrum nutansCheyenneYellow Indiangrass 993-5 ftZone 4-5
Spartina pectinata Prairie Cord Grass1004-10 ftZone 4-5
Sporobolus airoides Alkali sacaton1012-5 ftZone 4-9
Sporobolus aspera Rough Dropseed653 ftZone 5
Sporobolus heterolepsis  Prairie Dropseed661-3 ftZone 3
Stipa lessingianaCapriccioFeather Grass671-2 ftZone 6
StipaPony TailsFeather Grass102 Zone 5-6
Tripsacum dactyloides Eastern Gamma Grass688 ftZone 5
Zea mays japonica Ornamental Corn (Annual)1034-6 ft