Dwarf Grasses

Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'

My first experience with dwarf grasses dealt with only one variety and dates back well into the early to mid sixties.

At that time about the only variety being featured and sold was dwarf blue fescue.

No question about this varieties attractiveness but it could be finicky and somewhat tricky to grow or at least make it look its best in the landscape.

Fungus of one sort or another was the problem and extreme care had to be taken to not overwater it.

This beauty with powdery blue foliage had to be planted in full sun with excellent drainage certainly a requirement.

Now if we fast forward to 2008 there are numerous dwarf grass and grass like species available with the shortest reaching only two to three inches in height.

In producing the following list of grasses and grass like plants we have selected varieties reaching no more than two feet in height under normal growing conditions.

VARIETY	FOLIAGE COLOR	HEIGHT X WIDTH	ZONE
Ophiopogon 'Mondo japonicus pygmaeus'	Green	2-3” X 6”	5
j. Silver Dragon	White Variegation	1’ X 1’	6
j. Sparkler	Deep Green	5-6” X 8”	5
Planiscapus ‘Niger’	Very Dark Purple	6” X 8”	5
Liriope 'Lilyturf muscari'	Green	12-18” X 12-18”	5
m. ‘Bib Blue’	Green	18” X 12”	5
m. ‘Variegata’	Green with Yellow Variegation	1’ X 1’	6
Spicata	Green	10-12” X 12”	4
Stipa tenuissima	Green	1.5’ X 3’	4
Festuca o. g.‘Elijah Blue’	Powdery Blue	10” X 18”	4
Imperata c.‘Red Baron’	Red	1.5’ X 1.5’	5
Miscanthus s.‘Little Kitten’	Green	1.5’ X 1’	5
Pennisetum a.‘Hameln’	Green	1.5-2’ X 1-1.5’	5
a. ‘Little Bunny’	Green	1’ X 1.5’	5
a. ‘Moudry’	Green	2’ X 3.5’	6
s. c. ‘Compactum’	Purplish	12-18” X 12”	10
Villosum 'Feathertop'	Green	18-24” X 18-24”	7
Poa a. ‘Miniature Blue Grass’	Dark Green	1” X 6-12”	5
Sesleria a. ‘Autumn Moor Grass’	Yellow-Green	12-15” X 15-18”	5
Caerulea 'Blue Moor Grass'	Blue	1’ X 1’	4
Sporobolus h. ‘Prairie Dropseed'	Green	2’ X 1’	3
Stipa v. ‘Feathergrass’	Green	18-24” X 18-24”	3

From Dwarf Grasses to Ornamental Grass

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