Garden Landscaping 12 Fast-Growing Ornamental Grasses That Mature Quickly These ornamental grasses will fill your garden with color, movement, and texture. By Madeline Buiano Madeline Buiano Madeline Buiano is an associate editor at MarthaStewart.com, sharing her knowledge on a range of topics—from gardening and cleaning to home and pets. She has five years of writing and editing experience in the digital publishing industry. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 10, 2024 Close Photo: Donna Bollenbach Ornamental grasses are a great addition to any landscape. Not only do they look beautiful as filler in garden beds, but they can also be used as a low-maintenance alternative to turf grass. From low-growing, clumping varieties to tall, colorful types, there is an ornamental grass that will complement your yard or garden. If you want to reap the benefits of these plants now, we're sharing a few expert-approved fast-growing ornamental grasses that will give you quick, beautiful results. Linda Vater, plant expert for Southern Living Plant Collection, a plant collection designed to solve landscape challenges. Kelly Funk, president of Jackson & Perkins, a full-service nursery considered the world's foremost producer and marketer of roses. Adrienne Roethling, garden director for Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, a botanical garden in Kernersville, North Carolina. 10 Fast-Growing Ground Cover Plants That Give Your Yard Quick, Beautiful Results 01 of 12 Mat Rushes Ben Stevens / Getty Images Mat rushes (Lomandra) offer a lot a variety for the home gardener. "Lomandra can be a vibrant green, variegated, or even offer blue-green hues depending on variety," says Linda Vater of Southern Living Plant Collection. "Some varieties have a more upright and compact growth pattern, while others have a looser, cascading appearance." Zones: 8 to 10Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil 02 of 12 Flax Lily Merupik Rupik / Getty Images An evergreen perennial grass known for its attractive foliage, flax lily (Dianella) is a showstopper in the garden. Vater especially loves Clarity Blue, a variety of Dianella with an upright growth habit and deep bluish-green foliage. "The clean lines of Clarity Blue lend a modern and architectural feel to the landscape, and its clumping growth habit creates a well-defined form," she says. Zones: 5 to 9Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil 03 of 12 Pampas Grass Lizelle Botes / EyeEm / Getty Images Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) will add texture and movement to any landscape. "It features tall stalks with large, feathery plumes on top. The leaves are long, narrow, and sharp-edged, forming dense clumps," says Kelly Funk, president of Jackson & Perkins. "The plumes come in various colors, including creamy white, pink, and silvery gray." Zones: 7 to 11Size: 6 to 12 feet tall x 4 to 6 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil 04 of 12 Ornamental Fescue Getty Images Ornamental fescue (Festuca ovina glauca) features arching foliage that forms clumps or mounds. "The foliage can range in color from blue-green to silver-blue, providing a unique contrast in landscapes," says Funk. "Trim back dead foliage in late winter or early spring to help rejuvenate the plant and maintain its appearance. Dividing clumps every few years can also help prevent overcrowding and maintain vigor." Zones: 4 to 8 Size: 18 inches tall x 9 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil 05 of 12 Blue Gramma Courtesy of Turner Seed Blue gramma (Bouteloua Gracilis), also known as mosquito grass, is a quick grower that's native to North America. "One of its unique characteristics is that the seed heads are borne on a 90-degree angle," says Adrienne Roethling, garden director for Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden. In spring, thin blades of green grass emerge, followed by bright greenish-white seed heads that turn bronze in fall. Zones: 4 to 9Size: 6 to 24 inches tall x 18 to 24 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil 06 of 12 Reed Grass Georgianna Lane / Getty Images Reed grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha) has multiple seasons of interest. It emerges in spring with bright green blades and produces spikes of feather-like rosy-pink plumes in summer that transition to tan in winter. "The foliage mass comes up and gracefully arches with the plumes rising in the center," says Roethling. "It has a nice fountain-like shape ideal as a stand-alone or in mass." Zones: 4 to 9Size: 3 to 4 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil 07 of 12 Palm Sedge Getty Images Palm sedge (Carex muskingumensis) has a unique habit with green foliage that creates a pinwheel effect from the ground up. "Several elliptical-shaped seeds are borne on individual stems emerging throughout the clumps," says Roethling. "The pods will turn bronze in fall." Palm sedge prefers to grow in deep shade. If it's planted in sun be sure to provide plenty of moisture for it to thrive. Zones: 1 to 4Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Full to partial shade; moist, well-draining soil 08 of 12 Pennsylvania Sedge Getty Images Another type of sedge, Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) is a semi-green variety that is a good alternative in areas where turf can't grow. "Expect this shade-loving native grass to form loosely shaped mounds from its creeping habit," says Roethling. "The soft arching masses will reach 8 inches tall, producing tiny plumes that are hidden among the leaves." Zones: 3 to 8Size: 1 to 8 inches tall x 1 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun to full shade; moist, well-draining soil 09 of 12 Muhly Grass Zen Rial / Getty Images Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) will fill your garden with late season color. "Thin blades of green will emerge in spring quickly reaching mature height," says Roethling. "This is one of the last grasses to bloom. The plumes are large, light, airy, and soft pink looking exactly like cotton candy." Once established, muhly grass is drought-tolerant. Zones: 5 to 9Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil 10 of 12 Feather Grass SergioProvilskyi / Getty Images Feather grass (Nassella tenuissima) features bristle-like plumes that emerge early in spring and are light tan in color. While it can survive in warmer climates, the clumps look best when temperatures are cool. "They can be cut down to just a few inches above the ground in mid-summer, which will allow new, clean blades to emerge," says Roethling. Zones: 7 to 10Size: 1 to 2 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil 11 of 12 Switchgrass Vaivirga / Getty Images Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a prairie native with a lot of appeal. The blue-green leaves transition to maroon in the fall. As a bonus, light, airy pink plumes top the plant throughout summer. "If growing as an ornamental accent in a border or landscape, cut the old blades down in late winter to allow new growth to emerge in a neat and tidy way," says Roethling. "For those who grow this plant in meadows, mowing or burning the grasses down with yearly maintenance is ideal." Zones: 5 to 9Size: 3 to 7 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist, clay soil 12 of 12 Little Bluestem McKinneMike / Getty Images A grass native to North America, little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) forms a quaint rosette of blue-green leaves and short, thin plumes that start as pink and fade to white. "In fact, the plume changes to white at the onset of colder weather while the leaves turn cinnamon brown," says Roethling. "The birds like the seed heads through winter." Zones: 3 to 9Size: 2 to 4 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; clay soil Was this page helpful? 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