What is an Ornamental Grass?
An ornamental grass is any grass plant that is used for decorative purposes. There are 3 main types of grass plants: true grasses (of family Poaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), and rushes (Juncaceae). Although not always true of every variety, there is a comon saying to help identify which family a certain grass belongs to.
“Sedges have edges, rushes are round, grasses are hollow right up from the ground.”
The saying refers to the cross-sections of the stems. Sedges normally have triangular stems, while rushes have round ones. Both sedges and rushes have solid stems, while grasses are usually hollow. Again, this is a general guideline but there are many exceptions to the rule.
Why I Love Planting Grasses
We all know that plants breathe in the carbon that animals breathe out. This carbon is stored in every part of their biology. However, dead leaves, branches and trunks decompose. When they decompose on the forest floor, the carbon they stored over their lifetimes is returned to the atmosphere.
So how can we store carbon in plants long-term?
The answer is simple: roots!
When a plant dies, their roots decompose underground and the carbon is stored in the soil. There is more carbon in the soil than in all life on earth and in the atmosphere combined. The soil is, as far as I can see, the most important carbon sink that we have.
Grasses have vast root structures that reach deep into the ground. Not only does that make them great for slowing erosion and planting on hills, but it makes them ideal candidates for carbon storage. Grasses can be even more effective than trees at storing carbon long-term.
Ornamental grasses can define borders and add height to any landscape. They come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Plant grasses with wildflowers, shrubs, and other grasses and perennials to create your very own Canadian grassland.
Anatomy of a Grass Plant
Inflorescence
The inflorescence is the flowering part at the top of the grass made up of spikelets and florets. Spikes can be on alternating sides of the stem, all on the same side, or other arrangements. The florets produce seeds that can sometimes be harvested as grain.
Blade or Leaf
You might have thought that a “blade of grass” was the whole plant, but the blade is only the leaves of the grass plant. The blade is usually long, flat, and narrow with a pointed tip. They usually take turns growing on alternate sides of the stem.
Senescence is the process of aging in plants so a senescent leaf is an older dying leaf that will soon decompose.
Auricle
Auricles are named after the human ear from Latin “auris”. Like ligules, they all look very different and aren’t found in all grass varieties.
Ligule
A ligule is a little extra piece that grows off of the collar where the sheath meets the culm. The ligule can be leafy, spiky, or hairy, and isn’t found in all grasses.
In the picture below, we can see the white leafy ligule and the yellowish wavy auricle.
Sheath
The sheath is where the blade attaches itself to the stem. It is like a continuation of the blade that wraps around the stem and sometimes splits below the base of the blade like a V-neck sweater.
Culm
The culm is the jointed stem of the grass plant. It is normally herbaceous but can occasionally also be woody.
Node
Nodes are the joints that connect the internodal sections of the culm. While most of the culm is generally hollow, the nodes have a solid cross-section.
Stolon
A stolon is a different type of stem that grow horizontally and create new roots starting its own flowering culm.
Tiller
A tiller is a new blade that grows off of the existing plant either at the crown or from a separate flowering culm. Tillers are part of the same plant and have the same genetic makeup as the mother plant since they aren’t grown by seed. If there are lots of tillers at the crown, it is called a tuft. The separate culms can be grown by rhizome or stolon.
Crown
The crown is where the culm meets the roots.
Adventitious Roots
Most grass plants have small, densely-packed, fibrous roots. In perennial varieties, these roots anchor themselves deep into the soil.
Adventitious just means that they can grow from other parts of the plants than the roots themselves.
Rhyzome
A rhyzome is a root that pops up a few inches away from the mother plant and creates a new flowering culm.
Ontario Native Grasses
Native plants are more likely to thrive in their environments and require little to no maintenance once established. So let’s take a look at some of my favorite true grasses that can be found in Ontario.
Big Bluestem
Common name: Big Bluestem
Latin name: Andropedon Gerardii
Type: Perennial
Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil Requirements: moist fertile soil, drought tolerant once established, heavy or sandy soils
Mature Height: 100-200 cm
Flowering Height: 150-250 cm in August and September
Little Bluestem
Common name: Little Bluestem
Latin name: Andropogon Scoparius
Type: Perennial
Light Requirements: full sun
Soil Requirements: none, drought resistant
Mature Height: 100 cm
Flowering Height: 100-120 cm from July to September
Yellow Indiangrass
Common name: Yellow Indiangrass
Latin name: Sorghatrum Nutans
Type: Perennial
Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil Requirements: drought tolerant once established
Mature Height: 80-120 cm
Flowering Height: 120-220 cm from July until frost
Red Switchgrass
Common name: Red Switchgrass
Latin name: Panicum Virgatum
Type: Perennial
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Requirements: prefers moist and fertile soil but can compromise a little
Mature Height: 90-120 cm
Flowering Height: 120-140 cm in August and September
Wild Rice
Wild rice has been harvested for it’s grain for hundreds of years in the watersheds of the Great Lakes and all over North America.
Common name: Wild Rice
Latin name: Zizania Aquatica
Type: Annual
Light Requirements: full sun to part shade
Soil Requirements: marsh, requires 4 inches to 4 feet of water to grow.
Flowering Height: 3m
Canadian Wild Rye
Canadian Wild Rye is commonly used as an ornamental grass but also produces rye grain which is a popular ingredient in bread, beer, and whiskey.
Common name: Canadian Wild Rye
Latin name: Elymus Canadensis
Type: Perennial
Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil Requirements: grows better in fertile loamy soil but can tolerate most soils
Flowering Height: 1.5m
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We would love to help you with all your garden design and planting needs. We service Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area. To contact me (Scott) for a free consultation call 289-943-5477.
Services:
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