13 Ornamental Grasses That Are Spectacular in Fall

The way the fall breeze plays in a drift of soft ornamental grass is a magical sight. Many of these plants are at their peak loveliness as summer fades into fall. They provide valuable food to take pollinators into the winter dearth and give shelter as well. 

Perhaps the best thing about these plants is how easy they are to care for. Some are just about as low maintenance as can be! A great majority of them do their blooming in the late summer and into the fall months. While their flowers are not always as colorful as our other garden plants, they are beautiful in a gentle way. 

Many of these ornamentals make gorgeous filler for cut flower arrangements. Add them to a bouquet of native wildflowers like goldenrod and aster. Wherever you use them, they can make a spectacular impact. Let’s look at some beautiful, low-maintenance ornamental grasses for your fall garden.

Frosted Explosion

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Frosted Explosion Grass Seeds

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Bunny Tails

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Blue Grama

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Little Bluestem ‘Standing Ovation’

	common name Little Bluestem ‘Standing Ovation’
	botanical name Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’ PP25202
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2’-4’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Little bluestem is a wonderful species with great color and personality. The upright clumps of narrow leaves are blue near the base and turn green toward the tops. In the fall, the blades of this ornamental grass change to a rich, rusty crimson color. 

‘Standing Ovation’ maintains red tips on slightly broader blades through the summer, turning maroon in the cooler months. Bronzed purple flowers bloom in three-inch racemes in August and September. 

This plant tolerates poor soil like a champ. Once established, it is also drought—and heat-tolerant. Plant it in the fall, and it will have strong roots by next summer. Cut it to the ground or rake the clump with gloved hands in late winter. 

Muhly Grass ‘Pink Cloud’

	common name Muhly Grass ‘Pink Cloud’
	botanical name Muhlenbergia capillaris ‘Pink Cloud’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2’-3’
	hardiness zones 6-11

My wonderful neighbor planted pink muhly on the line that divides our properties, and it is stunning this time of year. Lucky me, she lets me harvest some for Autumn arrangements!

Muhly grows well from seed or starts and is drought-tolerant once established. In late summer, make sure to increase watering for the best bloom. That’s what this grass is best known for. 

‘Pink Cloud’ looks precisely the way it sounds. The fine, green blades remain visible near the bottom, but the tops burst into bloom. The flowers are bright pink initially and deepen to purple as the weather cools off. 

Maiden Grass ‘Fire Dragon’

	common name Maiden Grass ‘Fire Dragon’
	botanical name Miscanthus sinensis ‘Fire Dragon’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6’-7’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Showstopping is an excellent word to describe this ornamental grass in the fall. Maiden grass is an upright grower, but it has flexible blades that soften the look and give it a slight weeping texture. It’s perennial in Zones 4-9, making it one of the more versatile on my list.

‘Fire Dragon’ is splashy and fantastic in the autumn. The leaves turn brilliant red and orange. Tall spikes bloom up top like plumes of feathery smoke. It’s tall and exceptionally eye-catching when in bloom. It’s great for erosion control and is drought-tolerant. 

Blue Grama Grass

	common name Blue Grama Grass
	botanical name Bouteloua gracilis
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 9″-2’
	hardiness zones 3-10

Even more tolerant of a range of climates, blue grama is a tough, drought-tolerant plant that grows in Zones 3-10. It grows well in xeric gardens and rocky soil. 

In spring and summer, the fine blue-green blades stand out in a delicate spray. In late summer, it produces interesting blooms that look like strips of false lashes. As fall wears on, the grass and flowers fade to a gentle straw color and add beautiful texture to the landscape. 

Feather Reed Grass ‘Karl Foerster’

	common name Feather Reed Grass ‘Karl Foerster’
	botanical name Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3’-5’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Feather reed grass is tall and dramatic. It makes a wonderful living boundary, reaching three feet tall with five-foot flower plumes. This is an early bloomer, so you’ll see flowers in early summer rather than late. It’s still gorgeous in fall, as the flowers dry to a golden shade and stay on for a long time. 

The most common variety is ‘Karl Foerster.’ In 2001, the Perennial Plant Association awarded it the Plant of the Year award. Its tall, upright growth habit is more vigorous in fertile soil, but it will tolerate poorer soil types, too. Too much shade will cause the tall blades to flop over. Cut back to six inches in late winter.

Fountain Grass ‘Burgundy Bunny’

	common name Fountain Grass ‘Burgundy Bunny’
	botanical name Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Burgundy Bunny’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12”-24”
	hardiness zones 5-9

If you prefer a more compact plant, fountain grass is ideal. Densely clumping, this plant tops out between one and two feet tall. It will flower best with adequate watering and looks great as a border or around a pond. Make sure the soil has good drainage and keep it moist. 

‘Burgundy Bunny’ is a showy variety with dense, green, pointed leaves. In the autumn, the red and green foliage deepens to a rich plum. Flower spikes appear in late summer and endure through the fall. These are a combination of varying shades of purple and look like small, fluffy foxtails. 

Pheasant’s Tail Grass

	common name Pheasant’s Tail Grass
	botanical name Anemanthele lessoniana
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2’-3’
	hardiness zones 8-10

In warm climates, few plants are tougher than semi-evergreen pheasant’s tail. This grass is highly ornamental with long, thin, green leaves that change to many colors in the fall, much like its namesake. This plant is a winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. 

In summer, pheasant’s tail sends up large, airy plumes of flowers that bend toward the ground under their own weight. It’s not picky about soil and is heat and drought-tolerant. It also self-sows easily but not aggressively. 

Bunny Tails

	common name Bunny Tails
	botanical name Lagurus ovatus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10”-20”
	hardiness zones 4-10

Bunny tails are one of the sweetest ornamentals around. Lovely, compact fountains of blue-green leaves make a beautiful border for your beds or garden paths. It can handle some shade but will flower best with plenty of light. 

It blooms in the summer with the softest, feathery flower heads. They look like bunny tails, which is where this one gets its common name. In the fall, the entire plant, including the fluffy flower heads, changes to straw color. They are wonderful for cut flower arrangements and dried decor. 

Prairie Dropseed ‘Gone With The Wind’

	common name Prairie Dropseed ‘Gone With The Wind’
	botanical name Sporobolus heterolepis ‘Gone With The Wind’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Prairie dropseed is a native plant that grows well in various climates. Its fine foliage grows in a dense, fluffy mound. Its deep roots make it highly drought—and heat-tolerant. In the fall, the flower seeds drop to the ground, creating food for birds and other wildlife. 

‘Gone With the Wind’ is a compact variety that sways gently in the breeze. The flower spikes are tall and wispy, forming a cloud around the top of the plant. The flowers are aromatic, making this especially appealing for entryways and lining walking paths. 

Red Switch Grass ‘Cheyenne Sky’

	common name Red Switch Grass ‘Cheyenne Sky’
	botanical name Panicum virgatum ‘Cheyenne Sky’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2’-3’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Red switch is a compact ornamental with great container appeal. In bloom, it rarely exceeds three feet tall, two feet before flowering. In spring, the leaves are blue-green, but by early summer, the tips have begun to blush a deep red shade. 

This semi-evergreen makes a pleasant swishing sound when disturbed by a breeze. ‘Cheyenne Sky’ turns predominantly wine-colored by the end of summer, when like-colored flower spikes appear. It’s known for being low-maintenance and easy-going in its soil needs. 

Frosted Explosion Grass

	common name Frosted Explosion Grass
	botanical name Panicum species
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 16”-32”
	hardiness zones 2-11

If you’re a cut flower gardener, don’t pass over frosted explosion. This vigorous performer produces pops of fluffy flowers that make an excellent filler for floral arrangements. The tall, leafy stems resemble miniature corn plants, and the flowers are silvery and beautiful.

Also known as a fiber optic plant, frosted explosion is versatile and makes a great container plant. It also makes a great border for the cutting garden, and the flowers dry nicely. 

Ornamental Millet ‘Purple Majesty’

	common name Ornamental Millet ‘Purple Majesty’
	botanical name Cenchrus americanus ‘Purple Majesty’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3’-5’
	hardiness zones 2-11

For deep, rich, dramatic color, ‘Purple Majesty’ millet is pure garden magic. Large clumps of mulberry-colored leaves are tall with arching ends. The foliage is stunning from spring until the first frost. It’s an award-winning variety and an All-American Selection. 

The flower heads are long and thin, resembling cat tails. Like the foliage, they are a similar shade of dark purple. The flowers make a gorgeous vertical focal point in cut arrangements. While millet is not native to North America, this variety comes from the University of Nebraska’s millet-breeding program. 

Pampas Grass ‘Rosea’

	common name Pampas Grass ‘Rosea’
	botanical name Cortaderia selloana ‘Rosea’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 5’-7’
	hardiness zones 7-11

I’ve saved one of my favorites for last. If you reside in California, skip this one, as it makes the invasive species list. Elsewhere, in Zones 7-11, this is the ultimate in ornamental grasses, in my opinion. Pampas are tall and elegant. They grow quickly, so they make a great screen or living fence. 

‘Rosea’ is a pink variety that produces large cotton candy pink plumes in late summer and through fall. Aside from occasional pruning, pampas grass requires little maintenance. The plumes make amazing cut and dried florals and are popular for weddings in recent years. 

If you live where pampas grass is invasive, try one of the other grasses on this list.