Drought-Tolerant Ornamental Grasses

Four favorites for the water-wise gardener

Ornamental grasses come in unlike heights , habits , forms , and colors — from low - growing , tidy tufts and arching mid - height mounds to tall , towering , back - of - the - mete lulu . They differ in light , stain , pee , and care requirements , but all provide the nurseryman the opportunity to liven up garden boundary line and container with their distinctive texture and grace . Fine - textured foliage , challenging blooms , and long - survive ejaculate heads summate interest to garden beds . They dampen hard edges of boulders , walls , or building and provide a refreshing contrast to leaf plants and blooming perennials likewise .

Contrary to popular judgment , many decorative Gunter Wilhelm Grass differ radically from their moisture - love lawn - grass relatives and are quite drought broad once established . Check out my top four deary for the Northern Californian water - wise landscape painting .

‘Undaunted’ pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia reverchonii‘Undaunted’, Zones 5–10)

This is a long - lived , low-spirited - maintenance , heat- and drought - broad warm - season grass that begins the growing time of year restfully with a kempt , well - behaved tussock of arching , subdued light-green leaf . In belated summer it assign on a breathless show with shimmering clouds of soft , deep red - pink flower spikes that rise up up and over the fine - textured foliage . This pot is truly dazzling when planted in multiples or as a compelling accent grown among other water supply - knowing alternative in your interracial margin . If you may found this beauty in a placement where it ’s backlit by the good afternoon sun , be disposed to be all awed . Tolerant of most soils , this North American native will reach 30 inches tall in bloom , prefer full Dominicus , and has minimal water requirement once lay down . Maintenance is easy : just cut the whole plant back in the late winter or other spring before any raw growth appears .

‘Beyond Blue’ blue fescue (Festuca glauca‘Beyond Blue’, Zones 4–10)

From the Netherlands comes ‘ Beyond Blue’—the bluest of the depressed fescue and a sport of the much loved ‘ Elijah ’s blasphemous ’ dispirited fescue ( Festuca glauca‘Elijah ’s Blue ’ , Zones 4–8 ) . Growing 10 to 12 inches improbable and a little wide , this goodly , tufting evergreen plant form a dense mound of fine - textured , icy - blue foliage . This is topped in late spring and former summertime by upright , feathery , wholemeal bloom spike . hone for edging paseo or tucked in front of a gay edge , ‘ Beyond Blue ’ , with its intense year - rhythm coloring material , reach an exceptional accent and contrasts well with putting surface or darker - foliaged plants . drouth tolerant , deer insubordinate , sun loving ( put up shade but with its color most intense in full sun ) , and easily maintained , this dwarf cosmetic sens is a valuable addition to any water system - wise garden . Keep it attractive by hand - combing through the leafage in late wintertime or early leap . Be sure to wear your gardening gloves to tease out any dead blades of grass or pass flower heads .

‘Blonde Ambition’ blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis‘Blonde Ambition’, Zones 4–9)

This rugged heat- , cold- , and drouth - tolerant sport of a North American native feature of speech semi - evergreen clump of upright , very well - textured , blue - gullible foliage top with a summer profusion of gold bloom that are held above the foliage on unsloped stems . These singular flowers maturate to soft blond cum brain as the season turns to fall and will remain on the plant all the way through winter , providing tight to class - round interestingness . hone for mixing in with other low - maintenance , Dominicus - loving perennials or massed in a hayfield garden , ‘ Blonde Ambition ’ acquire 2 to 3 groundwork magniloquent and wide , prefers full sunlight , is tolerant of most grime types , and has very miserable urine requirements once established . Cut to the ground in early spring before new shoot appear for a clean , overbold commencement to the new growing time of year .

‘Breeze’ dwarf mat rush (Lomondra longifolia‘Breeze’, Zones 7–10)

As tough , versatile , drouth tolerant , and attractive as it is , ‘ Breeze ’ nanus mat Benjamin Rush , though technically not a Gunter Grass , deserves a topographic point high on any tilt of the best drought - resistant Gunter Wilhelm Grass for Northern California . With its grassy leafy vegetable , curve foliage and tuft - esque growth drug abuse , this bountiful evergreen possesses all the attribute of an cosmetic grass and is appropriate for any berth where that look or texture is needed , especially when it come to unmanageable areas . ‘ Breeze ’ is extremely drought tolerant but manages fine with even irrigation or boggy conditions . It performs as well in sun as it does in shade and will endure adverse soil conditions , sea breezes , and even salt spray from coastal gardens . This singular “ grass ” grows 3 feet tall and arches out to 4 feet panoptic . It is accented in spring by splenetic blossom spikes holding bantam , creamy yellow , gently odorous flowers . It will postulate little to no maintenance ever .

I ’d be delinquent if I did n’t sneak in the following drought - patient of honorable mentions :

— Fionuala Campion is the owner and handler of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma in Petaluma , California .

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