Ornamental Grasses for Pennsylvania Landscapes

Whether you want to plant them throughout the landscape, in garden beds, or even in decorative containers, there are so many brilliant ways to use these beautiful, low-maintenance ornamental plants.

 

Ornamental grasses have so much to offer the landscape. Their slender, wispy foliage brings textural contrast and a sense of movement to the scenery, and their distinctive blooms are undeniably lovely. There are so many ornamental grasses native to Pennsylvania, and planting them helps support our local wildlife and biodiversity! Plus, they’re super low-maintenance, so you can get incredible results with very little effort. 

 

Complete Your Low-Maintenance Landscape with These Native Ornamental Grasses

Native grasses have adapted to thrive in the wild in Pennsylvania. Easy to care for, with plenty of ornamental value and curb appeal—what more could you want? These seven gorgeous grasses are wonderfully versatile, with so many potential uses in the landscape. You’ll love them!

 

Inland Sea Oats

This modestly-sized, clumping ornamental grass reaches 2–4 feet high and wide, with pale flowers that look just like oats. Its vivid green foliage turns sandy brown in winter, adding late-season interest. We recommend cutting it back in February, as that’s when it starts to lose its color and break down. 

 

Indiangrass

The honey brown seed heads of this warm-season ornamental grass have a glittery golden sheen that sparkles in the sun. Its cool emerald foliage transitions in autumn to shades of dark orange or plum purple. Its “awns”—the bristly fringe-like inflorescence that appears in fall—has a rusty red color that really pops. 

 

Big Bluestem

A warm-season variety with cool blue-green foliage that reaches 4–8 feet at maturity, big bluestem grows lush in summer and blooms from August to November. Its leaves take on a vibrant crimson color in fall for a double dose of seasonal interest. Songbirds will take shelter within its foliage, and butterflies love it.

 

Little Bluestem

A smaller variety of warm-season ornamental grass, little bluestem rarely exceeds 3 feet tall. It forms mounded clumps, making it a lovely border grass for paths and garden edging. Its silvery-blue foliage gives way to vibrant purple seeds. It turns deep red in fall and gold in winter. 

 

Switchgrass

With an upright growth habit and a tall yet compact form, native switchgrass is a terrific ornamental grass for smaller spaces. “Shenandoah” is the most popular variety and is loved for its blazing red-tipped foliage blades that light up the landscape like torches. Switchgrass is particularly drought-tolerant but is also surprisingly salt-tolerant, so it’s great for life on the coast. 

 

Bottlebrush Grass

Reaching 3–5 feet in height with a lush, arching spread similar to fountain grass, bottlebrush grass is loved for its wispy, delicate inflorescence that looks just like a bristly bottlebrush! White, feathery blooms dance in the breeze, bringing a sense of whimsy to the scenery. 

 

Assorted Sedges

Sedges are low-growing, clumping ornamental grasses that make terrific ground covers and filler plants for the landscape. Mass planting creates swirls of lush foliage resembling a coat of silky green fur. There are several different native sedges that you can grow here—most notably, the Pennsylvania sedge! This versatile plant can thrive in sun or shade, in dry sandy soils or moist clay soils, and in all sorts of different conditions in the landscape—it’s just a matter of picking the appropriate variety! Feel free to ask our experts in our Garden Center for recommendations on sedges to suit your unique space. 

 

Explore even more ornamental grasses for sale in Pennsylvania by visiting Primex Garden Center! Whether you want to plant them throughout the landscape, in garden beds, or even in decorative containers, there are so many brilliant ways to use these beautiful, low-maintenance ornamental plants.