Top 10 ornamental grasses carefully selected by our editorial team. As every landscape enthusiast knows, the transformative power of ornamental grasses cannot be underestimated. With their graceful forms, vibrant colours, and captivating textures, these resilient plants add depth, movement, and beauty to any garden or outdoor space. Whether you seek to create a serene meadow, an eye-catching border, or a striking focal point, this curated list of the finest ornamental grasses will inspire you to enhance your green haven with these marvellous botanical wonders.
Overview of our top 10 ornamental grasses
- Pampas Grass – Cortaderia Selloana White Feather
- Pink Pampas Grass – Cortaderia Selloana Rosea
- Liriope Muscari – Big Blue Lily Turf
- Pennisetum Setaceum ‘Fireworks’
- Pennisetum × Advena ‘Rubrum’ – Summer Samba Fountain Grass
- Panicum Prairie Sky – Sky Blue Switch Grass
- Miscanthus Sinensis Strictus – Zebra Grass
- Ophiopogon Planiscapus Nigrascens – Black Mondo Grass
- Miscanthus Sinensis Ferner Osten
- Uncinia Rubra Firedance
For more details on these plants, read below.
Pampas Grass – Cortaderia Selloana White Feather
Majestic South American grass with huge, graceful feathery heads of creamy-white flowers. Attractive foliage, hardy in the UK, blends well with other plants. Wonderful late summer and autumn effects retain beauty in winter.
Pink Pampas Grass – Cortaderia Selloana Rosea
Majestic South American grass with stout stems, large feathery cream-rose flowers, and attractive foliage. Fully hardy, resistant to drought and freezing. Perfect as a solitary specimen or blended with other plants. Stunning late summer and autumn effect.
Liriope Muscari – Big Blue Lily Turf
Liriope is a versatile and stunning ornamental grass plant. Its evergreen foliage and tall spikes of violet to lavender-blue blooms make it attractive from late summer to autumn. It forms an attractive ground cover, accentuates gardens, and thrives in containers. Liriope is low-maintenance, tolerates sun and shade, and can withstand drought conditions.
Pennisetum Setaceum ‘Fireworks’
Fireworks Pennisetum is a stunning ornamental grass with vibrant colours. Its arching deep purple leaves, edged in pink-red, create a blaze of vivid colour. The bottle-brush-like flower spikes add architectural beauty, and the feathery seed heads can be used in floral arrangements. Perfect for beds, borders, and containers, it pairs well with other grass varieties.
Pennisetum × Advena ‘Rubrum’ – Summer Samba Fountain Grass
This ornamental grass features stunning deep red foliage and vibrant red-purple flower spikes. It is a great value plant that creates an eye-catching display when planted in large clumps, with the swaying flower spikes adding beauty. Ideal for sunny, well-drained spots.
Panicum Prairie Sky – Sky Blue Switch Grass
Prairie Sky grass: striking blue stems, delicate, airy flowerheads, dancing silvery spikelets, soothing brown winter colour. Thrives in prairie or sunny gardens. These ornamental grasses are deciduous, cut-back stems close to ground level from late February through to the end of March.
Miscanthus Sinensis Strictus – Zebra Grass
Zebra Grass: a spectacular, hardy perennial with striking green foliage striped in cream-golden bands. Its tall, long-lasting flower plumes create a dramatic focal point and add seasonal interest. Ideal for borders, coastal areas, and as a backdrop. Low maintenance adds height and structure to gardens. Perfect with late summer and autumn plants like Echinacea and Sedum.
Ophiopogon Planiscapus Nigrascens – Black Mondo Grass
Ophiopogon nigrascens is a popular choice for garden designers. Its low-growing tufts of dark, almost black foliage contrast sharply with other plants. It’s easy to grow, hardy, and evergreen. In summer, it produces pale lilac-pink flowers and blackberries in autumn. This versatile grass looks excellent in combination with other grasses, ferns, perennials, and conifers.
Miscanthus Sinensis Ferner Osten
This ornamental grass offers clump-forming growth, fine arching leaves turning orange in autumn. Its feathery red flower panicles mature to pink-silver.
Uncinia Rubra Firedance
Firedance is a stunning ornamental grass with bronze evergreen leaves edged in scarlet red, creating a flame-like appearance. Its compact size and colours make it ideal for containers.
