Ornamental Grasses Are Perfect Perennials for North Dakota

North Dakota is a land of prairie grasses. Our soils and climate are made for growing grasses. That’s one reason why ornamental grasses are perfect for us. They are loaded with other great features too.

易于维护

Ornamental grasses rarely need watering or fertilizing. Just cut the plants back every spring—that’s it!

几乎没有虫害问题

Insects or diseases rarely bother ornamental grasses. Believe it or not, deer don’t like them! 这太好了，不可能是真的!

它们长得很快

Many grasses will grow up to their mature height, even up to 8 feet, within two growing seasons.

它们全年都很好看

You’ll enjoy a changing canvas of color from the emergence of tender grass in the spring to a display of roughened textures and brilliant colors in fall and winter. As a bonus, their seed heads attract lively and colorful birds to our yards.

‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass is one of the most popular perennials grown today (see photo). Plants grow 5 feet tall and provide a striking vertical dimension to flower beds. Its carefree habit has made it a staple in low-maintenance landscapes. Other popular feather reed grasses include ‘Overdam’ and ‘Avalanche’, each with eye-catching variegated leaves.

‘Northwind’ switchgrass was awarded the prestigious Perennial Plant of the Year award in 2014 (‘Karl Foerster’ won in 2001). ‘Northwind’ has olive-green foliage and a sturdy, upright habit. Another showy switchgrass is ‘Shenandoah’, noted for its stunning burgundy leaves and plumes in autumn.

Written by Tom Kalb, 扩展 Horticulturist, North Dakota State University. The photo was made available under a Creative Commons license specified by the photographer: daryl_mitchell. More photos are available in the NDSU院子里 & 花园的报告.