9 Perennial Ornamental Grasses You Should Plant Before First Frost

Ornamental grasses shine in the fall landscape with bladed texture, showy plumes, and unique seedheads. Their sway and movement add depth to the border, and the interest extends into winter as foliage dries and seeds persist for forage for birds and wildlife. Those that stand up to ice and snow glimmer in frost in an otherwise quiet landscape.

Perennial grasses, then, offer multi-season appeal as specimens, buffers, or a backdrop for blooms. The dried blades become shelter for pollinators and overwintering garden inhabitants. Durable and resilient, many grasses grow across various climates and soil types, needing few, if any, additional resources to thrive.

Fall is prime for planting ornamental grasses, as it gives roots time to develop and settle before soils freeze in cold climates. When planting perennial grass before frost, aim to install them at least four to six weeks before the first frost in your area. They’ll bring years of recurrent interest and become a highlight of the autumnal display.

Switchgrass

	botanical name Panicum virgatum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-7’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Switchgrass is a favorite North American native prairie species that spans varying climates, soil types, moisture levels, and exposures. Cultivars vary in height, coloration, and spread for versatility in a number of garden spaces.

Deep roots make them heat and drought-tolerant, and they withstand occasional flooding and dry spells. Switchgrass is useful in erosion control, naturalized arrangements, and rain gardens.

Look for ‘Northwind’ for a highly structured perennial grass to plant before frost. The tall switch forms an upright column dense with blue-green blades. Straight green and maroon plumes wave above the foliage in summer. In the fall, leaves turn gold before drying to tan.

‘Cheyenne Sky’ forms an upright clump with slender leaves that begin blue-green and transition to wine red in early summer, with plumes to match. The semi-evergreens make superlative container features in addition to screening, border specimens, and grouped plantings.

Keep ornamental grasses standing through fall and winter for dried qualities, including persistent seedheads. They heighten winter interest in addition to their forage and shelter opportunities. Cut them back in late winter or early spring before new growth emerges.

Big Bluestem

	botanical name Andropogon gerardii
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4-8’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Once a hallmark of North American prairies, big bluestem makes a statement in height and color. Its gracefully arching blades emerge early in spring, before many other grasses, with the cold-hardy and resilient nature of a sturdy native grass.

Big bluestem is adaptable and grows well in various moisture and soil situations. The long-lived species and its cultivars are useful for screening, as back-of-the-border specimens, and in naturalized sites.

With color-changing foliage, ‘Blackhawks’ in dark green and purple transitions to near black as temperatures cool in fall. Slightly arching blades in dark shades bring high contrast. Fine-textured burgundy inflorescences and seeds rise on upright stems to add to the appeal. Plant this perennial grass before frost to enjoy its color and texture this season.

Muhly Grass

	botanical name Muhlenbergia capillaris
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 6-10

Muhly is another native perennial grass to plant before the first frost. A spectacle in fall, airy purple-pink plumes create a soft haze above a fountain of wiry foliage. 

‘Pink Cloud’ blooms in rosy pink, while ‘White Cloud’ brings an open habit with full white plumes. M. reverchonii ‘Undaunted’ is a ruby muhly with improved cold hardiness over the species. A spray of deep rose plumes appears in early fall above densely tufted leaves.

Muhly tolerates heat, humidity, drought, and salty conditions. It grows in poor soils, including clay, rocky, and sandy textures. Plant them in a group for the biggest impact in late summer.

Little Bluestem

	botanical name Schizachyrium scoparium
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-4’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Little bluestem is a wide-ranging North American perennial grass. It features tufts of narrow, folded blades with blue-tinged new growth that matures to reddish-gold. In addition to their ornament, the fine leaves are a prime nesting habitat, and the fluffy white seeds are a food source for birds.

The species is widely adapted to different growing regions and soils, with clay and sand in its native range. Showy cultivars like ‘Blue Heaven’ have good form and disease resistance. Slender blades begin blue and age to pink and burgundy. Summer panicles are purple, with tan seedheads. Coppery autumnal color extends the show. 

‘Ha Ha Tonka’ is another favorite with blue-green leaves with highlights of silver and red. Cross-bred with seeds from Ha Ha Tonka State Park in Missouri, the hybrid is part of the Piet Oudolf Collection.

Feather Reed Grass

	botanical name Calamagrostis x acutiflora
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 4-11

Feather reed grass is a popular ornamental with a graceful form and seedheads that glimmer in gold in the sun. Easy care, the cool-season types flourish in spring and fall and remain attractive in summer.

‘Karl Foerster’ is a widely used cultivar among the species. Feathery panicles in bronze turn deep gold in autumn. The seedheads persist into winter, though the seeds are sterile and won’t germinate. 

‘Karl Foerster’ boasts uniform, upright foliage and plumes with good color retention in summer heat. It received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit and the Perennial Plant Association Perennial Plant of the Year Award.

To brighten the composition, look to its sport ‘Overdam.’ Plant this perennial grass before frost for silvery-blush variegated foliage and slightly arching, compact blades. Inflorescences are dusty rose.

Blue Fescue

	botanical name Festuca glauca
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10-12”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Blue fescue is a favorite perennial grass to plant before frost for its compact habit and fine, blue-gray blades. The silvery blue foliage fills garden gaps in cool climates.

‘Blue Whiskers’ is vigorous with bright blue blades and a dense, clumping habit. In spring and summer, airy plumes rise above the blades and turn from yellow to sand as they age.

Festuca struggles in very hot and humid environments. Cut it back after overwintering if the blades are worn for a quick flush of new growth in spring.

Hakone

	botanical name Hakonechloa macra
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-1.5’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Japanese forest grass, or Hakone, features a pillow of mounding, cascading blades in fresh green to gold. The specimen softens container and bed edges and brightens shady areas.

‘All Gold’ is a top performer in vivid golden-green, with more upright and vigorous growth. In deeper shade, blades are chartreuse, showing more gold with some sun.

Japanese forest grass benefits from winter protection in its lowest zones 5-6, especially important when planting this perennial grass before frost, where mulching with fallen leaves helps insulate plants. Well-draining, organic soils bring the best growth and disease resistance.

Blue Grama

	botanical name Bouteloua gracilis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-20”
	hardiness zones 3-10

Blue grama is another American prairie species, growing best in western states with arid climates. Fine green blades turn tawny red in the fall, with curls that heighten texture in the display.

Blue grama grows from seed with a sowing two to four weeks before spring’s final frost. A late summer or early fall seeding lets roots establish for a head start on spring growth. In the fall, about 10 to 12 weeks before the first frost, is beneficial for seedlings.

Blue grama grass prefers well-drained soils and is drought-tolerant once established. It’s best for waterwise, low-maintenance ornament and performs well as a lawn alternative and groundcover.

Carex

	botanical name Carex spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Carex, or sedge, isn’t a true grass, but it makes our list for its slender leaves and soft mounds that tuft gracefully. Carex cultivars tolerate shade better than many grasses and boast color variations to brighten shady beds.