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Perennial Ornamental Grass

Posted by bookjunky4life 5 Central IL (My Page) on
Thu, Nov 17, 11 at 12:15

I would like suggestions on types of perennial ornamental grass that you have wintersown. I already have tons of perennial pampass grass, so any other variety suggestion is welcomed, as well as where I can get the seed.


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Perennial Ornamental Grass

I WS seeds from my Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' dwarf fountain grass my first year of WS. They sprouted and grew well; this year they're close to a foot tall + nice and thick/dense. I could harvest seeds for you from my mature plants--I have several that are divisions from the original store-bought plant. I also have Calamagrostis 'Karl Forester' feather reed grass that has seeds on it. It's an upright, tall variety. Let me know and I'll send you seeds.


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RE: Perennial Ornamental Grass

I collected seed from my annual ornamental millet Jester. I know it is a hybrid so I was wondering if anyone else has grown any of the seed from it and what I might expect if it germinates.
Joann


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RE: Perennial Ornamental Grass

  • Posted by pvick z6B NYC (My Page) on
    Sun, Nov 20, 11 at 8:48

I've sown carex and blue fescue with success; they both form nice clumps that are about a foot tall. I believe the seeds originally came from Parks.


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RE: Perennial Ornamental Grass

I have wintersown all of the below successfully in Zone 5 and they are doing well. Most are native. My favorite is the prairie dropseed. It forms a nice low finely textured clump that looks good all year and has pretty delicate seed heads in the fall through winter. I love to run my hands through it. The northern sea oats is pretty too, but if you leave up the cool seedheads it reseeds A LOT here. The grayi carex has really cool seadheads, but needs moist soil...I have it in a rain garden.

I think I still have seed for all but the frosty curls one. I'm going to join the WLOMWL (what's left on my want list) seed swap which is an excellent place to score seed if you have any to swap.

Shorter:
Carex, Grayi and Frosty Curls (really are sedges but grass-like)
Sporobolus heterolepis Prairie Dropseed Grass
Festuca ovina var. glauca Blue Fescue Grass
Taller:
Pennisetum alopecuroides var. viridescens Black-Flowered Fountain Grass
Melica transsilvanica Pearl Grass
Schizachyrium scoparium Little Bluestem
Bouteloua curtipendula Sideoats Grama
Chasmanthium latifolium Northern Sea Oats


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RE: Perennial Ornamental Grass

I also sowed Purple Love Grass (Eragrostis spectabilis):

Piet Oudolf

And Briza media - I forgot what the common name is:

Photobucket


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RE: Perennial Ornamental Grass

I have winter-sown several native grasses:

Andropogon gerardii - Big bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium - Little bluestem
Bouteloua curtipendula
Sorghastrum nutans - indian grass
Chasmanthium latifolium - river oats

Also, the native grasses Deschampsia caespitosa (tufted grass) and Sporobolis heterolepis (prairie dropseed) reseed themselves around quite a bit in the gardens, so these would be good candidates too. I agree with Molanic, the prairie dropseed is a gorgeous grass, and very drought tolerant!

Grasses are easy peasy! I just sow and plant them hunk-o-seedlings. If you want to select superior specimens, you will need to plant them individually however.


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RE: Perennial Ornamental Grass

gardenweed - I would love to have some of your grass seeds. Let me know what I need to send and where. Thanks!


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RE: Perennial Ornamental Grass

Sporabolis, Prairie Dropseed, is a favorite grass. Here is one in a shaded area which doesn't get much sun so seldom has seed heads but makes a nice mound.

I was surprised one fall morning in 2010 to see this courtesy of my neighbor garden buddy.

Sporabolis


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