I like all those this winter, plus the Sesleria's and Luzula's I started last year. So far, in this mild winter, they're staying green. They're pretty small, in their first year, but green and blue/green. New Hystrix patula, Briza media, Carex grayi and Carex muskingumensis still have some green in them, as well.

I like my arundo donax in the wintertime. It stays tall and rigid in the winter months and loses most of its leaves so it looks like sticks stuck in the ground.

I would like to add Schizachyrium Scoparium 'The Blues'. It has nice winter color. The tiny seed heads catch the low angle of the sun. Just be sure to plant it in poor, loose soil or it will flop.

OK, so I'm weird, but I do not find a huge attraction to the deciduous grasses in winter. I think they just look messy as wind and weather take their toll on them. I prefer the appearance and the color offered by evergreen grasses - Carex morrowii 'Aureovariegata' and 'Ice Dance', the various bronze sedges, and blue fescues. Althought not true OG's, I also like the winter appearance of liriope and ophiopogon, specially L. 'Sliver Dragon' and black mondo grass. I used to grow Luzulas, but they became rather ratty looking over time and I yanked them

I've got some miscanthus graciellus or something like that, I really like it this time of the year. And I just got some little bluestem, it's real pretty this time of the year, too, with its bronze looking spikes.
This forum isn't exactly a busy one, I can't figure it out with all the beautiful ornamental grasses out there...
Sandy
Northern Tropics Greenhouse

I've recently purchased about 500 grasses in gallon and 2-gallon containers. i've had a couple months to look at them and admire their winter qualities.
Pennisetum alop. 'Cassian' is particularly attractive with its thick mound of arching straw colored foliage. I've moved several of these around the yard to brighten up the scene.

I'll concur with Derek in the assesment of Schizachrium scoparium 'The Blues' as a fine winter grass. It has beautiful rich reds that look terrific in the low winter light.

Anyone heading to Oregon please come visit my nursery to be! Email if interested.

I started this thread because, in contrast to gardengal, I find the winter coloration of grasses to be one of their most appealing aspects. I live in the SE, and one of the most beautiful winter sights here is a field of native orange-colored broomsedge, which contrasts nicely with the grey hardwoods and green pines and cedars. Many ornamental grasses provide a nice touch of color and texture to an otherwise boring winter landscape. When it snows, they stand out even moreso.

Out of the 43 grasses growing in the yard I would say there are very few that look "bad" this time of year.

Even with the limited snow fall we have received this winter the grasses in there varied stages of butter / vanilla / beige / tan and some red hues mixed in everything is just plain cool to look at.

With snow sitting atop the grasses the colors I mentioned become even more pronounced as the snow divides the colors from each other.

Our grasses include Miscanthus, Pennisetum, Panicum, Stipa, Calamagrostis, Eragrostis, Festuca, Schizachyrium, Koleria, Deschampsia, and Helictotrichon.

Sure some are less attractive than others but again w/ snow cover (if we ever get any) the grasses take on a different character than just brown and dead looking.

Jake

dawgie, i'm with you on the beauty of the grasses in the winter landscape - particularly, as you point out, in combination with tree bark colors & evergreens/conifers. i love them in the summer, too, but my biggest reward comes in the fall and winter.

i'm starting a lot from seed now, including schizachyrium scoparium, panicum virgatum, molina caerulea, and melica transsilvanica. i am hopelessly hooked. i've been lurking here for a few months, now - your thread brought me out :)

Chapelhill -- I'm just down the road from you in Raleigh. My winter gardening with grasses is over for now, as I cut back all of my grasses last weekend. They're just starting to put out new growth. I also started some seedlings, mainly Prairie dropseed, Sporobolus heterphylla, which I saw a lot of while visiting my brother in Chicago last summer. I've never seen it for sale at nurseries around here, but figured it was worth a try. It is a very fine-textured grass with a weeping form.

I just finished counting out 325 seeds of Prairie Dropseed, which I'm sowing today. Mine is Sporobolus heterolepsis, however. ;>)

I had the name wrong, mine is Sporobolis heterolepsis as well. Just planted mine last weekend. No signs of life yet. Not sure of the proper planting conditions, so I just sowed the seeds about 1/4" deep in good potting soil. I'm growing them outside so far because the temperatures have been very mild in NC.

Have you grown Sporobolis from seed before? I'm curious about how it takes for the seeds to germinate and grow to a size large enough to transplant in yard.

dawg..this is my first try with Dropseed, but you might want to scrape off some of the soil covering yours. Almost all grasses should be sown on or near the surface. I winter sow my grasses, which, for me, means they're either in plant bands in cold frames, or in 1-gallon water jugs. I'll do the Dropseed in 13 3" square, 4" deep plant bands, 25 seeds per cell. They'll be surface sown, and go into a cold frame. I put out 16 cells of Nassella tenuissima yesterday, and 16 cells of Chasmanthium latifolium this morning.

Of the 16 varieties of ornamental grass that I grow, Erianthus Ravennae is my favorite winter structure. It offers huge distinction between grass blades and bloom height. The tall stalks seem to weather the snows well, and the gentle sway in the winds provides visual interest.

Of the other grasses, Miscanthus Gracillimus with it's narrow leaves and huge abundance of flower heads is another late winter delight.

In my area, many homes are now decorated with ornamental grass. This winter I was actually tired of seeing so much dead brown folliage around the county. However, cutting down the grasses early removed a lot of bulk from the landscape and gave an empty look. It is an interesting design call regarding winter interest to say the least.

Hi,

I have a type of Japanese sweet flag grass that looks really nice all winter. It keeps its nice yellow color. It loves the moisture by the roses, and doesnt get too large. I'm just getting into grasses. Im thinking of putting a big clump of Zebra grass back by my birdfeeder, I also love blue fescue.

Jen