Arundo 'Variegatus'

8', zone 6, DR, Large green and white striped green leaves, bamboo-like apearance

Arondo Donax (Giant Reed)

14', zone 6, DR, Huge green leaves, bamboo-like apearance.

Calamagrostis brachytricha

Korean Feather Reed Grass. 3', zone 4, DR, SH, Beautiful airy pinkish inflorescences in September above strong green foliage, shade and moist site tolerant.

Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Avalanche'

4', zone 4, DR, SH, A 'Karl Foerster' habit with definate variegation down the center of the leaf, happy in both sun and shade, from Steve Schmidt of American Ornamental Perennials.

Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'

4', zone 4, DR, SH, Tan inflorescence, early blooming, upright habit. 2001 Perennial Plant of the Year.

Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Overdam'

3', zone 4, DR SH, Green and white foliage, tan inflorescence.

Carex buchananii

Leatherleaf Sedge. 2', zone 7, DR, SH, Bronze foliage, upright vase shape, evergreen. Great combiined with Helictotrichon. Do not cut back until May. 

Carex elata 'Aurea'

Bowles Golden Sedge. 2', zone 5, DR, SH, Bright gold foliage, deciduous, wet site tolerant.

Carex flacca (glauca)

8', zone 4, DR, SH, Blue-green foliage, rapidly spreading groundcover. Drought and sun tolerant, evergreen.

Carex flagellifera

Weeping Brown New Zealand Sedge. 18", zone 7, DR, SH, Bronze, orange and amber evergreen foliage; similar to C. buchananii, but softer and more weeping habit. Do not cut back old foliage until May.

Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'

12", zone 5, DR, SH, Green and white striped foliage, great semi-evergreen groundcover.

Carex muskingumensis 'Oehme'

Variegated Palm Sedge. 18", zone 5, DR, SH, Yellow stripes on narrow green leaves held up by upright stems, giving an odd mini-palm tree effect. Does well in moist and shady areas, semi-evergreen.

Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'

12", zone 5, DR, SH, Yellow and green striped foliage, stunning as a container plant, semi-evergreen.

Carex siderosticha 'Lemon Zest'

Creeping Broad-leafed Sedge. 12", zone 6, DR, SH, Striking broad gold leaveson a low-growing, slow-spreading groundcover. Both wet and dry site tolerant(something for everyone), deciduous.

Carex siderosticha 'Variegata'

Creeping Broad-leafed Sedge. 10", zone 5, DR, SH, Green and white striped foliage, deciduous.

Carex testacea

Orange New Zealand Sedge. 15", zone 6, DR, SH, Narrow copper-brown foliage, orange highlights in fall, evergreen. Do not cut back until May.

Chasmanthium latifolium

Northern Sea Oats. 3', zone 5, N, DR, Showy Oat-like seed heads in August. Green foliage.

Cortaderia Selloana 'Pumila'

5', zone 6, DR, Strong white fluffy inflorescence held well above green foliage.

Deschampsia Cespitosa

2', zone 4, N, DR, SH, Delicate green foliage is topped by airy panicles in July and August, tuning to gold and straw-colored in late summer and early fall. Shade and wet site tolerant, clump-forming, semi-evergreen.

Festuca Glauca 'Elijah Blue'

10", zone 4, DR, SH, Short powder blue foliage, prefers cool weather

Hakonechloa Macra 'Albo-Striata'

2', zone 5, DR, SH, Graceful white and green foliage.

Hakonechloa Macra 'All Gold'

18", zone 6, DR, SH, Bright yellow spiky foliage is more upright than H. 'Aureola', really lights up shady spots, introduced by Terra Nova Nurseries.

Hakonechloa Macra 'Aureola'

12", zone 6, DR, SH, Striking yellow and green foliage, our absolute favorite shade grass.

Hakonechloa Macra 'Red Wind' ('Beni-Kaze')

2', zone 6, DR, SH, Soft graceful leaves take on beautiful red tones in fall. Slow-spreading shade groundcover

Helictotrichon Sempervirens

30", zone 3, DR, SH, Delicate tan seed heads held way above powder blue foliage.

Helictotrichon Sempervirens 'Sapphire'

2', zone 4, DR, SH, Powder blue foliage with more rust resistance. Tan inflorescences held above foliage, like a giant Festuca.

Imperata Cylindrica var. koenigii 'Red Baron'

2', zone 6, DR, Red and green foliage, not invasive.

Leymus Arenarius 'Blue Dune'

2', zone 4, N, DR, Wide powder blue leaves, aggresive spreader, likes dry sites.

Miscanthus giganteus

Giant Miscanthus. 10', zone 5, DR, Silver inflorescence in fall, green foliage.

Miscanthus 'Purpurascens'

Flame Grass. 5', zone 5, DR, Silver inflorescence in August, orange-red fall foliage, selected by Dr. Hans Simon in Germany.

 Miscanthus Sinensis 'Adagio'

3', zone 5, DR, Silver inflorescence in August, green foliage, burgundy fall color, a Kurt Blumel introduction.

Miscanthus Sinensis var. condensatus 'Cabaret'

8', zone 5, DR, Copper inflorescence in Sept., wide green and white striped leaves, introduced into this country by the US National Arboretum.

Miscanthus Sinensis var. condensatus 'Cosmopolitan'

8', zone 5, DR, Copper-red inflorescence in Sept., wide white and green striped leaves, also introduced into this country by the US National Arboretum.

Miscanthus Sinensis 'Gracillimus'

6', zone 5, DR, Rose-red inflorescence in late summer, green foliage.

Miscanthus Sinensis 'Graziella'

5', zone 5, DR, Silvery-white inflorescence in August, green foliage, an Ernst Pagels introduction from Germany.

Miscanthus Sinensis 'Little Kitten'

Dwarf Silver Grass. 2', zone 5, DR, Silver inflorescence in August, green foliage, originated as a seedling of Yaku Jima.

Miscanthus Sinensis 'Little Zebra'

Dwarf Porcupine Grass. 3', zone 4, DR, Reddish Plumes in late summer, yellow and green horizontal stripes.

Miscanthus Sinensis 'Malepartus'

5', zone 5, DR, Early silver flowers held high above green foliage, fall color is a good orangey-tan, one of the earliest blooming Maiden grasses, introduced by Ernst Pagels of Germany.

Miscanthus Sinensis 'Morning Light'

5', zone 5, DR, Rose inflorescence in late summer, fine white and green striped leaves.

Miscanthus Sinensis 'Silberpfeil'

5', zone 5, DR, Rose inflorescence in Sept., white and green striped foliage, does not flop.

Miscanthus Sinensis 'Strictus'

Porcupine Grass. 6', zone 5, DR, Reddish inflorescence in Sept., yellow and green horizontal striped leaves.

Miscanthus Sinensis 'Vareigatus'

6', zone 5, DR, Reddish inflorescence in Sept., white and green striped leaves.

Molinia Coerulea 'Sky Racer'

6', zone 4, DR, Tall inflorescence in mid-summer, very showy above short green foliage which turns yellow in fall, introduced by Kurt Blumel.

Muhlenbergia Capillaris

Pink Hair Grass. 3', zone 6, N, DR, Deep rose-purple inflorescence in Sept., green foliage, must have well drained site.

Muhlenbergia Capillaris 'White Cloud'

White Hair Grass. 3', zone 6, N, DR, Stunning white fluffy panicles in Sept., looking like a soft cloud above the green foliage, must have a dry site, selected by Superior Trees in Florida.

Panicum Amarum 'Dewey Blue'

3', zone 3, N, DR, A gray-blue grass for tough dry sites, with airy persistent inflorescence emerging in October and turning beige in winter. This grass works particularly well at the seashore, forms slow-spreading clumps, selected and named by the "Native plant and Grass King" Rick Darke, after Dewey, DE, where he found it.

Panicum Virgatum 'Cloud Nine'

8', zone 4, N, DR, White-tan inflorescence, green foliage, selected by Bluemount Nursery.

Panicum Virgatum 'Dallas Blues'

5', zone 4, N, DR, Showy blue, red, and orange inflorescence, blue foliage, introdeced by Ken and Linda Smith of Change of Scene Nursery in Ohio, noted plantsman Patrick Cullina's favorite Panicum.

Panicum Virgatum 'Northwind'

6', zone 4, N, DR, Green-tan inflorescence, blue-green foliage, very upright habit, from Northwind perennial Farm in Wisconsin.

Panicum Virgatum 'Shenandoah'

3', zone 4, N, DR, Reddish-tan inflorescence, reddish-green foliage with burgundy tips, burgundy-red fall color, selected by Dr. Hans Simon in Germany and brought into this country by the US National Arboretum.

Pennisetum Alopecuroides 'Cassian'

2', zone 6, DR, Light gold inflorescence, green foliage, introduced by Kurt Blumel.

Pennisetum Alopecuroides 'Foxtrot'

4', zone 6, DR, Large tan inflorescence, green foliage, the most striking of the pennisetums, named by Kurt Blumel.

Pennisetum Alopecuroides 'Hameln'

Dwarf Fountain Grass. 2', zone 6, DR, Creamy white inflorescence, green foliage.

Pennisetum Alopecuroides 'Little Bunny'

Miniature Fountain Grass. 10", zone 7, DR, Tan inflorescence, green foliage, introduced by Jack Weiskott of Greenport, Long Island.

Pennisetum Alopecuroides 'Moudry'

3', zone 6, DR, Dark purple inflorescence, green foliage, unwanted seedlings should be removed, introduced into this country by the US National Arboretum.

Pennisetum Alopecuroides 'Red Head'

3', zone 6, DR, Huge Smoky burgundy bottlebrush inflorescence above wide green leaves. Earlier blooming than Maudry and showier. Selected by Brent Horvath from seedlings of 'National Arboretum'.

Pennisetum Orientale

2', zone 6, DR, Ivory inflorescence, green foliage, blooms all summer.

Pennisetum Orientale 'Karley Rose'

30", zone 6, DR, Rose-pink inflorescence, green foliage, blooms all summer.

Schizachyrium Scoparium 'The Blues'

3', zone 3, N, DR, Green foliage, burgundy-orange fall color, best in dry, well-drained site. If you want to be impressed, go see the mass plantings at Scott Arboretum in Swarthmore, PA; another wonderful plant by Dr. Richard Lighty.