| Grass Name | Greenlee's Comments |
Recommend?
|
| Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' | There are dwarf forms available for use between stepping stones as well as variegated forms. Need a lot of moisture but is a dependable shade grower. |
Yes
|
| Andropogon gerardii | Big Bluestem - warm season, winter dormant. Try 'Lord Snowden's Blue' for blazing fall color. |
Yes
|
| Buchloe dactyliodes | Buffalo grass - drought tolerant lawn substitute. |
Yes
|
| Calamagrostis acutifolia brachytricha | Good fall color. Will bloom in the shade. Fall flowering. |
Yes
|
| Calamagrostis acutifolia 'Karl Foerster' | 'Karl Foerster' and 'Stricta' are essentially the same plant. Must have winter chill to bloom. |
No
|
| Calamagrostis acutifolia 'Stricta' | 'Karl Foerster' and 'Stricta' are essentially the same plant. Must have winter chill to bloom. |
No
|
| Calamagrostis acutifolia 'Overdam' | 'Overdam' is the variegated form of 'Stricta'. Must have winter chill to bloom. |
No
|
| Calamagrostis nutkaenisis | Good native meadow grass. |
|
| Carex barbarae | Good native creeper. |
|
| Carex buchananii 'Viridens' | Great grass but short-lived. Good for 2-3 seasons only. |
Yes
|
| Carex comans 'Frosty Curls' | Great grass but short-lived. Good for 2-3 seasons only. |
Yes
|
| Carex comans 'Red' | Great grass but short-lived. Good for 2-3 seasons only. |
Yes
|
| Carex flagellifera | Great grass but short-lived. Good for 2-3 seasons only. |
Yes
|
| Carex glauca | Good blue foliage for shade. |
Yes
|
| Carex grayi | Good in water. |
Yes
|
| Carex morrowii 'Fisher's Form' | Best in shade. Better in Northern CA. |
No
|
| Carex morrowii 'Variegata' | Best in shade. Better in Northern CA. |
No
|
| Carex muskingumensis | Winter dormant. Good in water. |
|
| Carex nigra | Deciduous, warm season grass which grows in water. |
|
| Carex obnupta | Native Carex. |
|
| Carex pansa | Great new meadow sedge. Best lawn substitute for California. |
Yes
|
| Carex pendula | Good |
Yes
|
| Carex pensylvanica | Lawn sedge for Pacific Northwest. |
No
|
| Carex platyphylla | Good in Pacific Northwest. |
No
|
| Carex spissa | Good silver native sedge. |
Yes
|
| Carex testacea | Good accent. Not long lived. |
Yes
|
| Carex texensis | Good lawn substitute for shade. |
Yes
|
| Carex tumulicola | Best meadow sedge for ground cover - sun or shade, sand or clay! Bullet Proof! |
Yes
|
| Chasmanthium latifolium | Great grass for shady sites. Good fall and winter effects. |
Yes
|
| Chondropetalum tectorum | Great accent. Hot new plant. |
Yes
|
| Cortaderia sellowiana 'Gold Band' | Best Dwarf golden pampas grass. Does NOT re-seed. |
Yes
|
| Deschampsia caespitosa 'Goldgehaenge' | "This is a great grass - for Northern California. It does not grow or bloom well without winter chill. In the right climate, it's an excellent showy, "flowering grass for light shade. |
No
|
| Deschampsia caespitosa 'Schottland' | "This is a great grass - for Northern California. It does not grow or bloom well without winter chill. In the right climate, it's an excellent showy, "flowering grass for light shade. |
No
|
| Distichlis spicata | Native creeping, lawn forming grass. Heat and drought tolerant. |
Yes
|
| Eragrostis curvula Weeping Love Grass | Overlooked drought tolerant flowering grass - but it naturalizes. |
|
| Festuca californica | Best North of San Luis Obispo. Not happy in LA. |
No
|
| Festuca amethystina 'Aprilgruen' (BlueGreen) | German hybrid cultivars. All vary in height, texture, and color. Try mixing for a dappled effect. |
|
| Festuca cinerea 'Azurit' (Blue Green) | German hybrid cultivars. All vary in height, texture, and color. Try mixing for a dappled effect. |
|
| Festuca cinerea 'Elijah Blue' (Classic Blue) | German hybrid cultivars. All vary in height, texture, and color. Try mixing for a dappled effect. |
Yes
|
| Festuca glauca 'Blauglut' (Blue Blue) | German hybrid cultivars. All vary in height, texture, and color. Try mixing for a dappled effect. |
|
| Festuca glauca 'Silberreiher' (Blue Silver) | German hybrid cultivars. All vary in height, texture, and color. Try mixing for a dappled effect. |
|
| Festuca idahoensis 'Siskiyou Blue' | Good native fescues. Best in light shade in hot climes. Not happy in hot situations. |
Yes
|
| Festuca idahoensis 'Tomales Bay' | Good native fescues. Best in light shade in hot climes. Not happy in hot situations. |
Yes
|
| Festuca mairei Atlas Fescue Grass | One of the best ground cover grasses for large scale meadows. |
Yes
|
| Festuca rubra 'Patrick's Point' | Best in Northern CA. Not for hot inland valleys. |
No
|
| Hakonechloa macra | Does not thrive without winter chill. (Use as an annual) |
No
|
| Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra' | Does not thrive without winter chill. Usually will sport to aggressive non-red form without adequate winter chill. (Use as an annual). |
No
|
| Juncus acutus | Native CA. Has needle sharp leaves. Can be dangerous in the landscape. |
No
|
| Juncus effusus 'Quartz Creek' | Great green form. |
Yes
|
| Juncus inflexus 'Afro' | Best curly rush for California. |
Yes
|
| Juncus mexicanus | Creeping! Native rush. |
Yes
|
| Juncus pallidus | Fabulous tall evergreen rush for California. |
Yes
|
| Juncus patens | Dependable grey rush. |
Yes
|
| Leymus arenarius 'Findhorn' | Best used by the coast. Not good inland. |
|
| Leymus arenarius 'Glaucus' | Good creeping blue grass. |
Yes
|
| Leymus condensatus | Green native - tall screen plant. |
|
| Leymus condensatus 'Canyon Prince' | Not for hot inland valleys. |
No
|
| Leymus triticoides | Great creeping native meadow grass. |
Yes
|
| Miscanthus 'Cabaret' | Better with winter chill. |
No
|
| Miscanthus 'Cosmopolitan' | The best for Southern CA |
Yes
|
| Miscanthus 'Purpurascens' | Not happy without winter chill. Excellent in Portland. |
No
|
| Miscanthus sinensis 'Arabesque' | Good warm season Miscanthus for S. CA. |
Yes
|
| Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' | Good warm season Miscanthus for S. CA. |
Yes
|
| Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' | Good warm season Miscanthus for S. CA. |
Yes
|
| Miscanthus sinensis 'Yaku Jima' | Good warm season Miscanthus for S. CA. |
Yes
|
| Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus | Not really happy without winter chill. |
No
|
| Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus' | Not really happy without winter chill. Will grow in water. |
No
|
| Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus' | Not really happy without winter chill. Will grow in water. |
No
|
| Miscanthus transmorissonensis | The best evergreen Miscanthus for Southern California. |
Yes
|
| Muhlenbergia capillaris | Excellent small scale flowering grass for S. CA. Blooms purple in fall. |
Yes
|
| Muhlenbergia dubia | Excellent small scale flowering grass for S. CA. |
Yes
|
| Muhlenbergia dumosa | Stellar grass for California. Dumosa is best in light shade. |
Yes
|
| Muhlenbergia lindheimeri | Stellar grass for California. Beautiful Fall flowers. Blue foliage. |
Yes
|
| Muhlenbergia pubescens | Stellar grass for California. Showy flowers - petite. |
Yes
|
| Muhlenbergia rigens | Best all around native grass for flowers. Tolerates just about any soil. Stellar grass for California. |
Yes
|
| Nassella lepida | Needle grasses are best when planted in mass. They go brown in winter and are easily over-watered. |
|
| Nassella pulchra | Needle grasses are best when planted in mass. They go brown in winter and are easily over-watered. |
|
| Pennisetum alopecaroides 'Cassian' | Not good in S. CA. Need winter chill to be happy and lots of water. |
No
|
| Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' | Not good in S. CA. Need winter chill to be happy and lots of water. |
No
|
| Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Little Bunny' | Not good in S. CA. Need winter chill to be happy and lots of water. |
No
|
| Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Moudry' | Has black flowers. Best of the warm season fountain grasses for LA. |
Yes
|
| Pennisetum 'Burgundy Giant' | Good grass but somewhat floppy. Tender to frost. |
Yes
|
| Pennisetum frutescens | Naked fountain grass. Great in the desert. |
Yes
|
| Pennisetum messiacum | Great! This is a new fountain grass with 'Bunny Tail' type flowers. |
Yes
|
| Pennisetum orientale | Goes dormant but has showy flowers. |
|
| Pennisetum orientale 'Tall Tails' | Goes dormant. Grows to 4'. |
|
| Pennisetum setaceum 'Eaton Canyon' | 'Eaton Canyon' and 'Red Riding Hood' are the same plant. Good smaller scale red pennisetum. |
Yes
|
| Stipa gigantea | Great tall flowers. |
Yes
|
| Stipa tenuissima | Naturalizes but showy - people love it. |
Yes
|