10 ornamental grasses that add instant drama to containers

Transform container plantings with fine-textures and bold blades of grass and grass-like plants.

By now, we’ve all learned the magic recipe for styling container plantings: the thriller, filler, spiller concept of combining different growth habits and forms. Building on this framework, we can bring additional elements of design to the mix to create truly stunning combinations. Texture is an often-overlooked component of design, and one that adds contrast and drama to any planting. 

When discussing plants, texture refers to the relative size and shape of foliage and flowers. Bold textures tend to jump out at you, while fine textures recede. Combining plants with different textures creates harmony in a container design. Most grasses and grass-like plants have fine-textured foliage, which complement bolder leaves and blooms. Their long linear form contrasts with the more typical rounded leaves of other plants. Try one of the following to add rich texture and movement to patio pots and porch containers.

01 of 10

‘Charlie Boy’ Cordyline

• Botanical Name: Cordyline australis ‘Charlie Boy’
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Type: Rich, moist, well-draining
• Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline (5.5 to 8.0)
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 8 to 10 

‘Charlie Boy’ Cordyline brings dramatic color to containers, with bold burgundy leaves edged in bright pink. Plants produce a fountain of long leaf blades that grow upright before arching gently outwards. Plant this stunning variety as a focal point in large containers. Foliage remains evergreen in mild climates and plants tolerate the wind and salt spray of coastal gardens. 

02 of 10

Coolvista™ Dianella

• Botanical Name: Dianella revoluta ‘Allyn-Citation’
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Type: Average, dry to medium, well-draining
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic (5.5-6.5)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 8 to 11 

The silvery-blue leaves of Coolvista^™ Dianella bring cool color to patio plantings. The hues hold true through the heat of summer and carry right on through the winter months. With an upright form and lush texture, Coolvista^™ makes an excellent thriller in containers. Nodding blue flowers and blue berries add to this plant’s charm. A tough performer that tolerates drought, humidity, and salt. 

03 of 10

Carex EverColor® ‘Eversheen’

• Botanical Name: Carex oshimensis ‘Eversheen’
• Sun Exposure: Part shade to shade
• Soil Type: Medium to moist, well-draining
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.5-7.5)
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9 

The long, skinny leaf blades of Carex EverColor® ‘Eversheen’ look stunning spilling out of containers. With lemon and lime variegation, ‘Eversheen’ brings vivid color to plantings. Pair it with bold-textured foliage for dramatic effect. Carex is a sedge, not a true grass, and holds its vibrant color year-round.  

04 of 10

Beyond Blue™ Fescue

• Botanical Name: Festuca glauca ‘Casca11’
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Type: Average, dry to medium, well-draining
• Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline (6.0-8.0)
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8 

Drought tolerant and remarkable hardy, Beyond Blue^™ Fescue is right at home in containers. Soft mounds of powder-blue foliage hold their color year-round through mild winters. Beyond Blue^™ Fescue looks lovely all by itself in small containers and pairs beautifully with silver, purple, or gold flowers and foliage. 

05 of 10

Black Mondo

• Botanical Name: Ophiopogon planiscapus 
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Type: Rich, moist, well-draining
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.5 to 7.5)
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 to 9 

Tufts of linear near-black foliage defines this popular plant, which is not a true grass but a member of the asparagus family. Use as a filler in patio pots and window boxes, where its leaves spill gracefully over container edges. The rich color looks fabulous when paired with chartreuse or silver foliage. In hot climates, black mondo performs best with some afternoon shade. 

06 of 10

Lemongrass

• Botanical Name: Cymbopogon citratus
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Type: Average, medium, well-draining
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.5 – 7.0)
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 8 to 11 

Why not add something edible to your containers? Lemongrass is widely used in Southeast Asian cuisine where it is used to flavor soups and curries. With long arching foliage, lemongrass makes quite a statement in containers. Lemongrass is frost sensitive, so growing it in pots allows gardeners to bring plants indoors for winter.

07 of 10

Pink Muhly Grass

• Botanical Name: Muhlenbergia capillaris
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Type: Dry, medium, well-draining
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.5-7.0)
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9 

Pot up an autumn spectacle with pink muhly grass. This grass holds its own in large containers, with fine, blue-green foliage growing in an airy mound up to three feet in diameter. Autumn brings tufts of pink blooms that float above the foliage like clouds. This tough grass tolerates heat, drought, humidity, salt, intense summer sun and anything else you can throw at it.

08 of 10

Ruby Grass

• Botanical Name: Melinis nerviglumis
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Type: Medium, well-draining
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.5 to 7.5)
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 8 to 10 

This showy grass stands on its own in containers, but also begs to be paired with pink or purple spillers. The ultra-fine foliage grows in airy tufts topped with ruby-pink plumes through the heat of summer. Foliage turns reddish-purple in autumn, when seedheads fade to white. Grown as an annual in many areas, ruby grass thrives in heat but requires regular irrigation. 

09 of 10

Rush

• Botanical Name: Juncus spp. and cltvs.
• Sun Exposure: Partial to full sun
• Soil Type: Medium to wet
• Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline (7.0 to 8.5)
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9 

Several varieties of blue rush make striking and elegant container plants. ‘Blue Dart’, ‘Blue Arrows’, and ‘Blue Mohawk’ all produce extremely upright, blue-tinted foliage, bringing strong architecture to plantings. Though surprisingly drought tolerant, blue rush performs best with consistent moisture. You can even plant these beauties in water garden containers.  

10 of 10

Fiber Optic Grass

• Botanical Name: Isolepis cernua
• Sun Exposure: Part sun
• Soil Type: Moist to wet
• Soil pH: Acidic (5.5 to 6.5)
• USDA Hardiness Zone: 8 to 10 

With long, slender leaves tipped in tiny flower spikes, this grass-like plant truly resembles its namesake. Fiber optic grass is adapted to wet conditions and can be planted in water gardens or kept in moist containers. Its diminutive form and unique character make it perfect for miniature and fairy gardens. 

Read the original article on Southern Living