Grass is a timeless landscaping element.
It provides a green mattress that looks so refreshing to the eye.
It is organic but it requires effort for it to be maintained.
Elephant Grass close-up.
But some grass types are low maintenance.
In this article
#1.
It is a warm season grass but is drought, salt and traffic tolerant.
It requires frequent watering and needs high nutrients andhas to be cut every now and then.
Read also:21 Types of Bermuda Grass
#2.
Centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides)
It is also a good turf grass that will make the lawn dense.
It is known for its green, notched leaves that grow horizontally.
Like Bermuda, it is a warm season grass which needs frequent watering.
Read also:How to grow Centipede grass
#3.
St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum)
It is one of the most resilient and pest resistant grass available.
It is known as slow growing grass with wide, coarse leaves with rounded tips.
It loves sandy soil but needs to be watered frequently.
It can provide a grassy cushion for the lawn and can tolerate high foot traffic too.
Related:Types of St. Augustine grass and growing guide
#4.
Zoysia grass
It is another warm season grass with stiff and coarse leaves.
It is slow growing, requires full sun and turns dormant during the colder seasons.
It will turn green again when the warmer seasons come.
It can tolerate infrequent watering.
#5.
It is a flowering plant and is actually related to morning glories.
But it has creeping stems and deep green leaves that need to be fertilized and trimmed often.
#6.
It is used as ornamental grass in wide landscape areas.
They are easy to grow, drought tolerant and very low maintenance especially when it has its roots established.
This is also the reason why it can be invasive when uncontrolled.
#7.
The downside is that, it could be invasive when uncontrolled.
It has dark green leaves in the summer and spring that will turn bronze green during the winter.
It is a popular choice as a lawn alternative.
#8.
Once it has established roots, it will overthrow weeds.
It is also very resistant to a lot of pests including critters.
#9.
It will thrive in partial shade and shall bear bell-shaped flowers.
#10.
Fine fescue grass (Festuca spp.)
It is commonly used for lawn mixed seeds along with blue and red ryegrass.
It has more than twenty cultivars.
#11.
It is tough with many stems or legs, hence, the name.
It is short and can evade lawn mowers.
Related:How to get rid of crabgrass
#12.
It grows in clumps and is tolerant to drought and cold.
It is also fire-resistant and can recover easily when damaged.
It is cultivated as an ornamental grass and is one of the most popular in this category.
#13.
It is resilient as it can tolerate high foot traffic andlawn mowers.
It will grow well with full sun and partial shade but will have growth struggles in full shade.
It has distinct deep green, V-shaped leaves.
Related:Top rated lawn mowers under $300
#14.
It is drought and shade tolerant forming a dense, thick turf.
#15.
It grows in clumps making it a good addition to native gardens and borders.
It is perennial, fast growing and low maintenance.
#16.
Foxtail grass
It is known as a warm season, ornamental grass with arching leaves and grows in clumps.
It will have pink plumes in the summer.
It can tolerate full sun with enough moisture and is resistant to common grass feeders like deer.
Related:16 Weeds That Look Like Grass
#18.
It does well in both full sun and full shade and is resilient to high foot traffic.
It has thin, pointed leaves and is commonly mixed with Kentucky bluegrass to produce more shade tolerant turf.
#19.
It has dark green, coarse and thick grass which can tolerate high foot traffic and mowing equipment.
It is a beautiful turf grass but grows in clusters occasionally.
#20.
Timothy grass
It is a cool season grass known for being single stemmed and short lived.
It is a perennial that grows in clumps and an important pasture grass in Europe and Asia.
It has fibrous roots with brush-like plumes.
It is fast growing and can be considered invasive when uncontrolled.
#21.
It is cultivated as forage grass and for erosion control but it is also a good turf grass.
It has flat, hairy leaves with white, yellow spiky flowers.
#22.
It has high medicinal values and an organic way to ward off mosquitoes and other insects.
As a grass, it grows in clumps and is known for its blade-like leaves and stiff stems.
#23.
Mexican feather grass
It is a dense growing grass known for its feather-like texture that sways with the wind.
It is self-sowing and low maintenance.
It is also drought tolerant and can accomodate high foot traffic.
It is used for erosion control and it is best paired with ornamentals and succulents.
#24.
Japanese forest grass
It is known for its clumping growth and exotic habit.
Its leaves are variegated with either green or gold color and it has slender, bamboo-looking stalks.
It is not drought tolerant and may require very frequent watering during the dry season.
It is a beautiful accent grass for vibrant garden flowers.
#25.
It is a native perennial with rough-edged leaves and hairy undersides.
It is a cool season grass but can tolerate heat.
#26.
Zebra grass
It is known for its green and yellow stripes that look like porcupine spikes.
It is a striking ornamental grass because it grows flowers that look like plumeria or hibiscus.
It is drought and erosion resistant.
#27.
It is known for its blue-violet flowers.
It can tolerate almost all weather conditions and is a good accent plant to cottage types and native designs.
#28.
Elephant Grass close-up.
Karl foerster grass
It is known for its feather-like plumes, low growing requirements and tolerance for compact soils.
It is also sought-after because it will not reseed, hence, not that invasive.
It is a beautiful ornamental grass in a wide landscape.
It is drought resistant and wards off deer and other critters.
#29.
Orchard grass
It is fast growing, cool season grass that grows in bunches.
It is a famous pasture, forage and hay grass in Europe and in the US.
It is good for erosion control with its non-rhizomatous roots.
It is considered invasive because it survives in many types of soil.
It is disease and erosion resistant and likes to be chewed on by cats and a good livestock feed.
Read also:Straw vs hay
#30.
It has deep green foliage in the summer and burgundy in fall.
It is a good accent grass for driveways and flower beds.
It can tolerate both sun and shade.
It repels insects and deer and is essentially disease resistant.
#31.
It is useful in erosion control and land revegetation.
It is also widely archived in Native American ritual plants and in wildlife conservation.
#32.
Feather reed grass
It is a cool season, hybrid ornamental grass.
It is known for its clumpy, wire-like leaves, with loosely feather plumes.
It is good for both fresh and dry flower arrangements since the plumes could withstand the winter.
It does not seed making it a non-invasive plant that can be used as accent grass.
It is pest, insect and disease resistant.
#33.
Elephant grass
It is more than just an ornamental plant.
It is a tropical grass known to tolerate both wet and dry conditions.
It is also a known forage grass.
#34.
Indian grass
It is a perennial, warm-season grass with fibrous roots, rough but ribbon-like leaves.
It is pest and deer resistant with nodding flower panicles blooming in the fall and summer.
It is also drought tolerant and it attracts songbirds and small critters.
It is a good accent grass for a winter themed garden or lawn.
#35.
Sedge grass
It is the general term for more than 100 Carex species and cultivars.
It is known for its dense and tall clumped leaves that are shaped like fountains.
The leaves will remain cream colored year-round.
#36.
Japanese blood grass
It is an ornamental grass known for its changing leaf colors.
It will grow dormant in the winter and provides a good accent and contrast in the garden.
It is also deer resistant and very low maintenance.
#37.
Citronella grass
It is a perennial, clump-growing grass known for its wide medicinal properties.
It is also processed for essential oils and fragrance.
#38.
Blue oat grass
It is a dense, perennial grass that grows in clumps.
It is known for its blue green foliage.
It is commonly confused with tall fescues but blue oat grass is larger and taller than them.
It will grow blue flower panicles in the summer and fall but its blue green color will stay year-round.
#39.
It can tolerate both wet and dry soils and hot and tolerably cold climates.
#40.
It suppresses weeds and nematodes too.
#41.
Barnyard grass
It is mostly known as an agricultural weed.
It has flat leaves that will get more flattened as it grows in the stem base.
It produces its own seeds, hence, invasive.
It also grows tiny purple flowers that make it good as accent grass.
#42.
Goosegrass
It has pale-green stems, deep green, flat and folded leaves.
Its leaves are also tough and at mature phase cannot be cut by ordinary cutting implements.
It has strong roots, fast-growing and can grow in compact soils.
It could be invasive as it can produce its own seeds.
#43.
Torpedo grass
It has grayish green leaves that are narrow and rolled inward.
It has torpedo-shaped rootstock and rhizome roots with white-brown scales.
It produces its own seeds though and can be quite invasive often targeting rice fields.
What is the worlds tallest grass?
The worlds tallest grass is elephant grass, also known as Napier grass.
It can grow up to 12 feet tall and has long, flat leaves.
It grows in tropical regions and is popular for use in livestock feed and erosion control.
Elephant grass can be harvested several times a year, providing an abundant source of food and fodder.
Where is the longest grass in the world?
Thelongest grass in the worldis located in Africas Serengeti National Park.
It truly is a remarkable sight!
Conclusion
Grass is not just a generic landscape element.
It comes in many types with specific uses.
It is also astounding to know that most grasses bloom with flowers.