Ornamental grasses enhance your property’s visual appeal and texture, which can wow your guests and clients. These landscaping plants require minimal care and are pests and disease resistant. However, if you want a lush lawn, you must grow the ones that match your climate conditions. So, are you looking for the best ornamental grasses for your Ohio property? Here are the 6 common ornamental grasses Ohio.
The common Ohio ornamental grasses include blue oat grass, maiden grass, Switchgrass, Japanese blood grass, fountain grass, and blue fescue. These perennial ornamental grasses are hardy to Ohio’s climate and return yearly to add a dynamic accent to your backyard.
6 Best Ornamental Grasses for Ohio
I agree that there could be more than a dozen ornamental grasses in Ohio, but these six are the most common:
1. Blue Oat Grass
Blue oat grass is a cool-season ornamental grass that thrives in Ohio soil and climate. It flourishes in yards with well-drained soils and lightly shaded and sunny areas.
This grass appears refined and elegant due to its blue-grey color and brownish spikelets during fall. Oat grass is among the best if you’re looking for one of Ohio’s tallest and most stunning ornamental grasses.
2. Maiden Grass
This is another best ornamental grass you can grow on your Ohio property if you want a stunning and lush lawn. It has silvery seed heads at the top, which appear from early fall and last to winter. Its green, white, and yellow-striped foliage makes it attractive throughout the year.
3. Switchgrass
Switchgrass is another Ohio ornamental grass that is native to North America. It comes in different colors, red to green or silvery blue, and thrives in various soils. The turf’s hairy, pink-tinged flower spikes rise 2 feet above its foliage and turn golden brown in fall.
4. Japanese Blood Grass
This stunning ornamental grass thrives in properties with partial shade and moist and well-drained soils. It requires minimal maintenance and has red-tipped blades that gradually become redder as it matures. To keep it healthy and lush throughout, apply granular fertilizer after every six weeks.
5. Fountain Grass
Fountain grass is a warm-season ornamental turf that flourishes in sunny areas. Keep the soil moist until it fully establishes if you want to grow it on your lawn. It has attractive bright-green foliage and grows up to 4 feet tall.
6. Blue Fescue
Blue fescue is a robust perennial grass that performs excellently in containers and is ideal for border edging and mass planting. The turf thrives in partially shaded or sunny zones with dry and sandy soils. This is the best choice if you’re looking for cool-season, low-growing ornamental grass for your Ohio property.
Ornamental Grasses Ohio Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When can you plant ornamental grass in Ohio?
A: Spring and fall are the best seasons to plant Ohio ornamental grasses. Ideally, you should plant after the passing of the last frost. During this period, your decorative turfs will have ample time to develop a robust root system. This means your grasses will withstand the hot summer months and winter dormancy.
Q: What is the easiest ornamental grass to grow?
A: If you want to grow an easy-to-care ornamental turf in your backyard or garden, go for Pink muhly grass. It is among the tallest grasses that grow about three feet high. This deep green turf produces soft pink flowers in late summer, which adds to your compound’s visual appeal.
Ornamental Grasses Ohio Parting Shot
Ornamental grasses are gradually gaining popularity due to their stunning appearance and minimal care requirements. They enhance your property’s visual appeal and texture, which wows your guests, tenants, and visitors.
If you’re looking for the best ornamental grasses for Ohio, plant blue oat grass, maiden grass, and switch grass. Other decorative grasses that can beautify your Ohio lawn include Japanese blood grass, fountain grass, and blue fescue.
