Can you grow ornamental grasses from seed? I mean, heck, they make so much seed. Is it tricky to germinate or something?

Anthoxanthum odoratum.. Sweet Vernal Grass
Briza maxima.. Annual Quaking Grass
Briza media.. Quaking Grass
Calamagrostis brachytricha..Fall Blooming Feather Reed Grass
Carex comans 'Bronze Form'..Bronze New Zealand Hair Sedge
Carex grayi.. Gray's Sedge
Carex muskingumensis.. Palm Sedge
Chasmanthium latifolium.. Northern Sea Oats
Cortaderia selloana.. Pampas Grass
Deschampsia caespitosa.. Tufted Hairgrass
Eragrostis spectabilis.. Purple Love Grass
Festuca gigantea.. Giant Fescue
Festuca glauca.. Blue Fescue
Festuca mairei.. Maire's Fescue
Festuca scoparia.. syn. Festuca gautieri..Bearskin Fescue
Helictotrichon sempervirens..Blue Oat Grass
Hystrix patula.. Bottlebrush Grass
Lagurus ovatus.. Bunny Tails - Annual
Luzula nivea.. Snowy Woodrush
Luzula sylvatica.. Greater Woodrush
Miscanthus sinensis 'Central Park'..Maiden Grass
Miscanthus sinensis.. 'New Hybrids'..Maiden Grass, Eulalia Grass
Nassella tenuissima.. Mexican Feather Grass
Panicum virgatum.. Switch Grass
Panicum virgatum 'Strictum'..Switch Grass
Pennisetum glaucum 'Purple Majesty'..Ornamental Millet..Annual
Pennisetum alopecuroides.. Fountain Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Moudry'.. Black Seeded Fountain Grass
Pennisetum orientale..Oriental Fountain Grass
Saccharum ravennae..Ravenna Grass
Sesleria caerulea.. Blue Moor Grass
Setaria faberi.. Giant Foxtail - Annual
Sporobolus heterolepis..Prairie Dropseed
Stipa capillata.. Feather Grass
Tridens flavus.. Purple Top

It's easy to do. I use winter sowing techniques, and start them outdoors.

The best single source for seeds is Jelitto which is currently listing 170 different kinds. Don't worry that they're in Germany, they ship US orders from Louisville, KY.

I'm planning too to grow some grasses from seed this winter. Here's the seeds I have, all collected in public parks in France during my holidays: stipa tenuissima, pennisetum Purple Majesty, penn. villosum and a black flowered pennisetum (Moudry?).

When do you think it is the best time to sow them in zone 9a? Thanks!

P. villosum is zone 9-10 hardy, so you might want to give it the warmest microclimate in your garden. 'Purple Majesty' is an annual. In my zone, in a container, it reached 5'+ this year, so give it room. 'Moudry' is an aggressive reseeder, so watch for that. Stipa tenuissima (now called Nassella tenuissima) is an erratic germinator, which will sprout over a long period of time. Mine have started sprouting in early May, and kept sprouting into July.

linnea56..grass seed is ripe when it falls off the seedhead/plume/panicle by itself. The best way to check is to use a large paper grocery bag. Bend a plume down into the bag and shake it gently. If the seed is ready, it'll fall off in the bag. At this point, I strip the plume right into the bag. Different plumes on the same plant ripen at different times.

Cross-pollination generally isn't much of a problem with grasses, but they will frequently vary from the parent to some extent. If you grow several different cultivars of one type of grass together in the same bed, you'll get more variation in seedgrown plants.

Named cultivars can almost be counted on to grow differently from seed. Most commonly, they revert to the species. Seed from species grasses come true much more regularly. The most common differences in seed-grown grasses from named cultivars is in lack of colors and variegation.

Disney has greenhouse operations on the property, owned by Disney. They can grow things on or just hold for a while.

Here's a trio, guarding one of my onion beds:

That pic was taken on April 24, after the grasses had been trimmed on March 31. Here's what they look like today:

They were in gallon pots when I trimmed them, after spending the winter buried in the top of my compost bin. They were about 1/3 green and 2/3 brown.

I see that some people have what
looks like a MF look alike grass, but have no idea
what it really is. I was told it was morning light miscathus.
But I don't believe so, since I just purchased several.
They are not alike in texture.

I even bought some from the green house, [ the
look alike plant] that they dug up
for me, which I think is misnamed. It survives every
winter for them. Mine however died. We had a sudden
freeze, with temps down into the teens for two days.

I would love a replacement plant, but won't ask.
Maybe I should have mulched this as well!

Mary
z 5b KS

Androprogon gerardii - Big bluestem
Bouteloua curtipendula - Side oats grama
Chasmanthium latifolium - Northern sea oats or River oats
Lagurus ovatus - Bunny Tail grass
Schizachyrium scoparium - Little bluestem
Sorgastrum nutans - Indian grass

I winter-sowed them April 12, in 1 and 2 liter bottles, with little hunks of seeds. The plan was to get plugs of grasses going this year. After an unusally warm stretch in mid-late April, most were sprouted by the end of April.

Still waiting on the Chasmanthium, which has not sprouted yet. Supposedly it can be a good reseeder, so I'm not expecting it to be difficult to sprout, and the seeds are commercial purchased this year. Maybe it just needs warmer temps than the others.