Name: Cortaderia selloana Gold Band Zones: 7 to 11 Size: 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide Conditions: Full sun; fertile, well-drained soil This clumping, drought-tolerant grass is one of the best pampas grasses you could grow. It has the showy, late-summer plumes common to this group, but they grow straight up, not willy-nilly like many other varieties; they eventually stand 4 to 6 feet above the foliage. Even better news is that this cultivar does not set seed, so it is noninvasive. The foliage features distinct golden edges, which, for a grass, usually means that it loves shade or moisture. But Gold Band tolerates heat and drought, making it great for large containers, and it can handle coastal conditions, too. Noteworthy characteristics: This noninvasive pampas grass has variegated foliage and a tolerance for heat and drought. Care: Grow in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Cut back by early spring, being careful of the sharp leaf edges. Propagation: Divide in early spring. Problems: Trouble-free.

Saccharum arundinaceum (Hardy Sugar Cane) Sun to Part Sun Zone 6-10 Height: 120 inches Origin: China From the garden of plant collector Jim Waddick comes the hardiest and most spectacular of the sugar canes... little-known in the US. S. arundinaceum has long, grey-green leaves with a white midrib. This giant clumper (great for hiding obtrusive neighbors or rusty cars) makes a spectacular sight 10' tall x 10' wide. In early-to-mid October, the clumps are topped with purplish-pink, narrow, pampas-like plumes that extend another 2-3' above the foliage. Because of the late flowering season, seedlings are not a problem from Zone 7b north. South of Zone 7b, watch carefully for seedlings...truly a must for grass lovers!

Culture Sun to Part Sun Zone 6-10 Height 96 inches Origin China This unusual seedling from Tennessee's Robert Wilson, makes a smaller than normal clump for this species, 8' tall x 10' wide, compared to 10' tall normally. Starting in early spring, the leaf edges turn amber-purple and continue intensifying until fall when the leaves show a pronounced banded edge on both the front and back of the leaf. The clumps are topped with tall purple-tinted flower spikes that top the clump by another 2' in late October (NC). This is one of the strangest characteristics we've ever seen on a grass...

Name: Sesleria autumnalis Zones: 5 to 8 Size: 12 to 16 inches tall and wide Conditions: Full sun to light shade; tolerates a wide variety of soils. Whether used singularly or in masses, autumn moor grass can be put to almost any use in the garden. You cannot ask for a tidier ornamental grass than this, and I consider it one of the finest ground-cover grasses for meadows. Autumn moor grass features beautiful, bright yellow-green foliage, which sports attractive, neat flowers, emerging white in early autumn and fading to tan.

Name: Festuca mairei Zones: 4 to 10 Size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide Conditions: Full sun to light shade; tolerates a wide variety of soils This sturdy ground cover is fast becoming one of the most dependable grasses for creating drought-tolerant meadows. Clumping evergreen foliage is a rich khaki green and grows in an arching clump. The flowers, while noticeable, are not showy. Atlas fescue is at its best in groups and grows in all but hot, humid, and low desert climates.

Name: Vetiver zizanioides (syn. Andropogon zizanioides) Zones: 9 to 10 Size: 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide Conditions: Full sun to light shade; tolerates a wide variety of soils This beautiful ornamental has upright, glossy green foliage and interesting, animated leaf tips that resemble party favors. Evergreen to 25 F, these plants gain reddish purple hues in the fall and winter. Vetiver is so good for the desert, we used it to hide air conditioners at the Furnace Creek Inn in Death Valley. More gardeners may find it useful in containers or as a screen. Vetiver even takes damp soils and is used to prevent bank erosion in canals and bayous. Native to India, it is the source of vetiver oil, one of the oldest perfume bases known to man. It is estimated that this grass has been in cultivation in eastern cultures for thousands of years. Noteworthy characteristics: Sunset-colored foliage in fall and winter. Very adaptable. Care: Provide full sun to light shade and most any soil.

Name: Eragrostis chloromelas Zones: 7 to 10 Size: 2 feet tall and wide Conditions: Full sun; tolerates a wide variety of soils. From late spring until fall, Boer love grass puts on a glorious display as inflorescences that emerge silver, dry to gold, and dance up to 2 feet above the fine-textured clump of foliage. The show won t last as long in morehumid climates, but this grass still earns its keep. It is often sold as E. elliotii, a different species that forms a smaller, tighter mound and is an excellent blue-foliaged grass for the hot, humid South.

Name: Carex divulsa (syn. C. tumulicola) Zones: 4 to 9 Size: 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide Conditions: Full sun to full shade; tolerates a wide variety of soils. This sedge is one of the most adaptable of the ground-cover grasses. Its ability to look the same in sun or shade makes it a valuable asset in plantings that go in and out of full sun. Berkeley sedge is a good solution for areas under stress where lawn grasses often fail. Because the flowers are not particularly noteworthy, I often interplant showy, flowering accents between masses of Berkeley sedge.

Name: Melinus nerviglumis (syn. Rhynchelytrum neriglume) Zones: 8 to 11 Size: 12 to 18 inches tall and wide Conditions: Full sun; tolerates a wide variety of soils. This clumping, blue-green foliaged grass has amethyst-pink flowers that create fluffy, 8- to 12- inch-long plumes throughout the summer. Eventually, the flowers mature to the color of rootbeer foam. It s heat and drought tolerant, and it makes a fine annual in colder climates. Excellent drainage will help it thrive in humid summer climates. Not invasive from seed, ruby grass works great grown singly in pots or in groups.

Name: Stipa tenuissima Zones: 7 to 11 Size: 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil. This southwestern native starts out an amazing iridescent green as it pushes up in spring and then develops delicate yellow seed heads that sway with the slightest breeze. When it turns all-yellow, Mexican feather grass reveals its full glory, resembling a tuft of blonde hair. It tends to reseed, but I comb out the seed heads with a steel rake mainly because I don t like how they clump together. Mexican feather grass is tough, performing throughout the growing season in any climate but the hottest, most humid regions of the country, where it makes a great winter annual.

Name: Sporobolus wrightii Zones: 5 to 9 Size: 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide Conditions: Full sun to light shade; tolerates a wide variety of soils. Largely untried in northern states, Wright s dropseed is a great new grass that is becoming a substitute in southern gardens for unwieldy pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana, Zones 7 11). Heat and drought tolerant, its gray-green foliage sports airy clouds of flowers atop tall stems in summer. This grass is good as a single specimen or in a group as a showy backdrop.

Name: Hakonechloa macra Aureola Zones: 5 to 9 Size: 12 18 tall by 18-24 wide Golden hakone grass grows with an arching form that resembles a cascading miniature bamboo. Individual blades are ½ side and bright yellow color with a very think green stripe. In the cooler days of autumn the golden foliage becomes tinged with shade of pink and red. Hakonechloa is used mainly for its golden foliage, although it does produce tiny, inconspicuous flower spikes from late summer throughout mid autumn. Hakone grass grows best in moist, humus rich, well-drained soil. This grass will not grow well in poorly drained soil, heavy clay soil, or very dry soils. Partial shade is the optimum location in hot climates while more sun is suitable in cooler areas. Deep shade may reduce the golden leaf color.

Flower Color: Blue-Purple Foliage Color: Blue Garden Height: 40-48"; Tall Spacing: 24-30" Habit: Upright Container Plant Style: Filler - Intermingles well with other plants to fill in the middle ground of a combination Bloom Time: Late Summer through Fall Zones: Perennial in zones 3-8 Hardy Temp: -35 F (-37 C) Exposure: Full sun Water Needs: Dry to Normal Maintenance: Easy Uses: Landscapes Excellent in beds and borders. Beautiful foliage colors that change with the weather; native to Eastern North America Best Seller Deadheading Not Necessary Drought Tolerant Fall Interest Grass Heat Tolerant Landscape Plant Low Maintenance Native to the Americas New Winter Interest

Helictotrichon sempervirens (Blue Oat Grass) - It is a cool season evergreen clump forming grass that grows to 2 feet tall with blue-gray leaves radiating out like a bristly porcupine. The light tan flowers are on erect spikes that rise a foot above the foliage in summer. Use as an accent plant or in mass. Plant in full sun or light shade and give occasional irrigation. Best in soils with good drainage and may rot in heavy soils, especially if over irrigated. The blue color occurs in dryer soils when plant is in full sun or bright shade; too much shade and the plant flops over and opens up in the middle. Maintain plants by removing withered leaves as they appear or by occasionally pulling a steel rake through the foliage. This plant remains evergreen in mild climates but is considered semi-evergreen in areas that experience harsher winters. In these areas it is best to trim plants back close to the ground in late winter. 'Sapphire', a new more disease resistant cultivar with wider and bluer leaves called has begun to replace the species.

Description: A knee high purple haze in the distance may not be an atmospheric event, but the effect created by the wispy, purplish flower heads in a dense stand of Gulf muhlygrass. This is a showy clump forming grass that can get to 3 ft (0.9 m) tall and just as wide. The stems and leaves are wire-like and unbranched, originating from a dense basal clump. (Muhlygrass does not produce runners.) The purplish-red or pink inflorescence is a diffuse, silky panicle, 18 in (45.7 cm) long and 10 in (25.4 cm) wide, that stands above the wiry leaves. It appears in late summer, and persists for 6-8 weeks. The ripe seeds that follow give an attractive tan color to the wispy plumes. Light: Full sun to light shade. Moisture: Gulf muhly grass tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions from moist to dry, acidic to alkaline, and sandy to marly. Established plantings will not need supplemental watering, but the grass will get larger with liberal irrigation. Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-10. Propagation: Gulf muhly grass is easy to start from seed. Existing clumps can be divided to start new plants. Usage: Gulf muhlygrass is used in borders and perennial gardens where a fine textured foliage is desired to accent bolder specimens. It makes an excellent groundcover for areas with poor soils, or a refined specimen grass in natural gardens. Gulf muhlygrass is tolerant of salt spray and poor soils. Once established, it needs no care. Muhlygrass is recommended for road shoulders and medians.