Grasses
Gardeners appreciate grasses for the innate beauty and year-around interest
that they add to our outdoor living spaces. Their foliage provides pleasing
form and texture throughout the growing season and often even into the winter
months. Many grasses wave gracefully and rustle in the slightest breeze, bringing
landscapes to life. Many are important for wildlife habitat. Foliage colors
range from shades of green to blue, yellow, tan, bronze and reddish tones. Some
blend colors in distinctive patterns. Their flowers range from bold to
insignificant and the seed heads that follow vary as well. Many are quite dramatic
when back- or side-lit. The mature seed plumes of certain varieties are key
winter elements in landscapes and can be valuable in dried arrangements.
Grasses are versatile and adaptable. They are easy to grow, require minimal maintenance and are long-lived in our landscapes. In addition, they are generally pest and disease free, including being quite resistant to deer browsing. Contrary to what people often think, most grasses are clump-forming and, save for a handful, will not overtake your garden.
Grass growth patterns are either cool or warm season. Cool season grasses come up in early spring and bloom in late spring or early summer. Depending on variety, they may go dormant during hot, dry periods in summer. Warm season grasses begin growth later in spring and produce their flowers in late summer and fall. They tend to be the most drought tolerant of grasses.
Whether you choose cool or warm season grasses will depend somewhat on which
part of the growing season you would like their emphasis. Often, a combination
of grasses that exhibits both growth patterns is best. There is a grass to
fit just about every cultural niche, but most of them do prefer sunny sites. It
is important to choose carefully the right plant for your location. Our staff
can answer questions related to plant selection including growth patterns,
light and soil needs. If you wish to see outstanding mature specimens of many of
these grasses, be sure to visit the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and
Noerenberg Gardens.
Following is a list of grasses that will be available through Ambergate Gardens during the current season. Downloading this PDF will allow you to access the list of grasses, along with their descriptions and prices, which are available for mail order shipment. Downloadable order blanks and conditions of sale are available at Ordering Info.
Remember, if due to circumstances beyond our control, we do not have a particular plant available, we'd be happy to suggest appropriate substitutions.
C: Calamagrostis, Carex, Chasmanthium
D: Deschampia
ANDROPOGON gerardii (Big Bluestem)
ARRHENATHERUM bulbosum 'Variegatum' (Variegated Bulbous Oat Grass)
CALAMAGROSTIS brachytricha (Fall-blooming Reed Grass)
CALAMAGROSTIS x acutiflora 'Avalanche' (Variegated Feather Reed Grass)
CALAMAGROSTIS x acutiflora 'Eldorado' (Variegated Feather Reed Grass)
CALAMAGROSTIS x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' (Feather Reed Grass)
CALAMAGROSTIS x acutiflora 'Overdam' (Variegated Feather Reed Grass)
CAREX caryophyllea 'Beatlemania' (Mop-headed Sedge)
CAREX elata 'Aurea' (Bowles Golden Sedge)
CAREX muskingumensis (Palm Sedge)
CAREX muskingumensis 'Ice Fountains' (Variegated Palm Sedge)
CAREX muskingumensis 'Little Midge' (Dwarf Palm Sedge)
CAREX muskingumensis 'Oehme' (Variegated Palm Sedge)
CAREX nigra 'Variegata' (Variegated Black-flowering Sedge)
CAREX pensylvanica (Pennsylvania Sedge)
CAREX plantaginea (Seersucker Sedge)
CAREX siderosticha 'Variegata' (Variegated Broad-leaved Sedge)
CHASMANTHIUM latifolium (Northern Sea Oats)
DESCHAMPSIA cespitosa 'Bronzeschleier' (Tufted Hair Grass)
DESCHAMPSIA cespitosa 'Goldstaub' (Tufted Hair Grass)
H: Hakonechloa, Helictotrichon, Hystrix
I: Imperata
Leymus, Luzula
FESTUCA glauca 'Boulder Blue' (Sheep Fescue)
FESTUCA glauca 'Elijah Blue' (Sheep Fescue)
FESTUCA glauca 'Solling' (Sheep Fescue)
FESTUCA idahoensis 'Siskiyou Blue' (Idaho Fescue)
HAKONECHLOA macra 'Aureola' (Golden Variegated Hakone Grass)
HELICTOTRICHON sempervirens (Blue Oat Grass)
HELICTOTRICHON sempervirens 'Saphirsprudel' (Blue Oat Grass)
HYSTRIX patula (Bottlebrush Grass)
IMPERATA cylindrica 'Red Baron' (Japanese Blood Grass)
LEYMUS arenarius 'Blue Dune' (Blue Lyme Grass)
LUZULA nivea (Snowy Woodrush)
LUZULA nivea Lucius™ (Snowy Woodrush)
MISCANTHUS 'Purpurascens' (Red Flame Miscanthus)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Blondo' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Bluetenwunder' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Ferner Osten' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Goliath' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Gracillimus' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Graziella' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Helga Reich' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Huron Sunrise' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Juli' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Kleine Silberspinne' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Malepartus' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Nippon' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Punktchen' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Silberfeder' (Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Silberpfeil' (Variegated Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Strictus' (Porcupine Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Variegatus' (Variegated Japanese Silver Grass)
MISCANTHUS sinensis 'Zebrinus' (Zebra Grass)
MISCANTHUS x giganteus (Giant Chinese Silver Grass)
MOLINIA arundinacea 'Skyracer' (Tall Purple Moor Grass)
MOLINIA arundinacea 'Windspiel' (Tall Purple Moor Grass)
MOLINIA caerulea 'Variegata' (Variegated Purple Moor Grass)
PANICUM amarum 'Dewey Blue' (Bitter Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Cheyenne Sky' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Dallas Blues' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Heavy Metal' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Huron Solstice' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Northwind' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Prairie Fire' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Prairie Sky' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Red Sunset' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Shenandoah' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Squaw' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Strictum' (Switch Grass)
PANICUM virgatum 'Thundercloud' (Switch Grass)
SCHIZACHYRIUM scoparium (Little Bluestem)
SCHIZACHYRIUM scoparium Blue Heaven™ (Little Bluestem)
SESLERIA caerulea (Blue Moor Grass)
SORGHASTRUM nutans (Indian Grass)
SORGHASTRUM nutans 'Sioux Blue' (Indian Grass)
SPARTINA pectinata (Prairie Cord Grass)
SPARTINA pectinata 'Aureomarginata' (Variegated Prairie Cord Grass)
SPODIOPOGON sibiricus (Silver Spike Grass)
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed)
What's New at Amergate Gardens!
Baptisia x bicolor
'Starlite' Starlite Prairieblues™ - USPP 19971
(Hybrid False Indigo)
Courtesy of Chicagoland Grows®
Brunnera macrophylla
'Emerald Mist' - USPP 20460
(Variegated False Forget-Me-Not)
Courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries
Dicentra
'Burning Hearts' - USPPAF
(Hybrid Bleeding Heart)
Courtesy of Skagit Gardens
Euphorbia polychroma
'Bonfire' - USPP 18585
(Cushion Spurge)
Courtesy of Blooms of Bressingham®
Hemerocallis
'Hush Little Baby'
(Daylily)
Courtesy of Bailey Nurseries
Schizachyrium scoparium
'MinnBlueA' Blue Heaven™ -
USPP 17310 (Little Bluestem)
Courtesy of University of MN
Ambergate Hours:
April 30 - October 17, 2010
Tues-Sun: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.