Grasses
Grasses that add movement, texture and four-season interest to a high-desert yard, from a few showy annuals to hardy perennials and true Great Basin natives.
Grasses do quiet, important work in a Basin landscape. They sway with the wind, hold their texture from spring through the first hard frost, and many of them shrug off drought and browsing deer once they are established. Our selection runs from a few bold annuals for planters to hardy perennial grasses, several of them native to the Great Basin, and every variety below is tagged with its size and zone so you can plant with confidence.
Stock changes through the season. Call (435) 789-5512 to check what is potted up and ready before you make the drive.
Annual Grasses
- Red Sensation Cordyline australis 'Red Sensation' Crimson red annual grass.
- Common Green Grass Cordyline invidisa or Dracaena indivisa The upright spike often used in planters.
- Purple Fountain Grass Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' Long purple plumes that are partly red.
Perennial Grasses
- Korean Feather Reed Grass Calamagrostis arundinacea Pink-tinged plumes on top of tall stems, 36 to 48 inches tall and 15 inches wide. Full sun to part shade. Deer resistant. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 4-9.
- Karl Foerster Reed Grass Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' Green leaves with golden flower plumes, 60 inches tall and 24 to 36 inches wide. Full sun to part shade. Deer resistant. Zones 3-9.
- Overdam Reed Grass Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Overdam' White edges and green stripes, 48 to 60 inches tall and 24 to 30 inches wide. Full sun to part shade. Deer resistant. Hardy zones 4-8.
- Little Tickler Dwarf Northern Sea Oats Chasmanthium latifolium 'Little Tickler' Bamboo-like foliage with showy seed heads that mature to a purple-bronze color, 18 to 24 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Full sun to partial shade. Deer resistant. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 5-8.
- Pixie Fountain Tufted Hair Grass Cespitosa 'Pixie Fountain' Dark-green grass with gold plumes, 16 to 24 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. Full sun to part shade. Deer resistant. Hardy zones 4-9.
- Elijah Blue Fescue Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' Clump-forming, low-growing and semi-evergreen, 6 to 12 inches tall and wide. Full sun is best, part shade is not recommended. Deer resistant. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 4-11.
- Blue Oat Grass Helictotrichon sempervirens Clump-forming with steel-blue foliage, 24 to 36 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. Full sun. Deer resistant. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 4-8.
- Sweet Grass Hierochloe odorata Hardy grass with a vanilla fragrance, once used by Native Americans. Hardy zones 3-9. Native.
- Great Basin Wildrye Leymus cinereus Clump-forming native grass, 48 to 72 inches tall. Full sun to part shade. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 2-9. Native.
- Basin Junior Wildrye Leymus salinus 'Basin Junior' Clump-forming with silvery-green foliage. Full sun. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 3-8. Native.
- Autumn Flame Grass Miscanthus 'Purpurascens' An arch of red-green clumps with a tinge of purple in the autumn, 36 to 48 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Full sun. Deer resistant. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 4-9.
- Cosmopolitan Maiden Grass Miscanthus sinensis v. condensatus 'Cosmopolitan' Strong and upright with a spreading habit, 84 inches tall and 48 inches wide. Full sun to part shade. Deer resistant. Drought tolerant. Zones 5-9.
- Shenandoah Switch Grass Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' Valued for red foliage and striking red-purple fall color, 48 to 60 inches tall and 18 inches wide. Full sun. Deer resistant. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 4-9.
- Mini Oat Grass Poa secunda v. juncifolia Similar to Blue Oat Grass, with blades rough to the touch, 12 to 24 inches tall and 10 to 12 inches wide. Full sun. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 4-10.
- Northern Pampas Grass Erianthus ravennae Northern White flower stalks rising above grey-green foliage, 120 inches tall and 72 inches wide. Full sun. Deer resistant. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 5-8.
- Hardy Pampas Grass Saccharum ravennae 'Erianthus' A more cold-hardy version of the popular White Pampas Grass, 96 to 144 inches tall and 72 inches wide. Full sun. Deer resistant. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 4-9.
- Sacaton Grass Sporobolus wrightii 'Windbreaker' Los Lunas Tall, cold-hardy grass that thrives in heavy clay and dry, rocky soils, a good substitute for pampas grass, 96 to 120 inches tall and equally wide. Full sun. Drought tolerant. Hardy zones 4-9.
Disclaimer: This is a listing of varieties that have performed well in the area. This listing does not guarantee that the varieties are in stock. Please call to inquire if an item is in stock or not.
Add some movement
From a steel-blue fescue at the front of a bed to a stand of native wildrye for structure, our staff can point you to the right grass for your spot and your zone. Call ahead and we will tell you what is ready.