Native ornamental grasses can be a gardener’s landscaping dream come true. Texture, sound, color, movement, and shade are all elements that native ornamental grasses can add to your home garden. In addition to being low maintenance, these grasses are a beautiful habitat for native insects, small animals, and bird populations. These are not the traditional green turf grass but, in fact, forms of grass-like plants that can grow upwards of 15 feet.

Native plants are indigenous and Delaware has several native ornamental kinds of grass. The plants are called ornamental because of their outstanding, showy characteristics. They are an excellent aesthetic accent to a garden.

Numerous species are native to Delaware but can be aggressive even when native. Grasses can be either clump-forming or rhizome-forming. The clump-forming grasses will grow in very nice, neat mounds or clumps. They tend to mix well with other perennials and will not become aggressive.

They will increase in girth slowly over time. The rhizome-forming grasses are spread by underground stems and can become very aggressive. These grasses have their place but may need to be in a well-tended perennial border since they can soon take over an entire area. Before selecting a grass, be sure to understand how it grows so you will avoid planting a future problem.

It is essential to note the difference between the cool season and the warm season varieties. The native cool season grasses in Delaware include short-awn foxtail, American beachgrass and winter bentgrass. These varieties grow early in the spring, and some may retain some color over winter.

During droughts or when soil is dry, the cool season grasses can turn brown, indicating a dormant phase in the growth cycle. The Delaware warm-season grasses include Elliot’s bluestem, common bushy broom-sedge, indiangrass, purple-top grass, tall switchgrass, little bluestem and big bluestem.

As the name implies, warm-season grasses grow well in warmer seasons, even when temperatures increase. Their growth will appear when the soil warms and temperatures even out.

Some practical tips for adding native ornamental grasses to your landscaping plan include being mindful of the varieties and their growth patterns, including height, spread, foliage, sunlight, water and soil conditions. The chosen area should preferably be prepped in the fall, but if this is not possible, spring cultivation works fine too.

Adding compost or organic matter during site preparation is an important step. Ornamental grasses do not require high amounts of fertilizer. Grasses do not have to be trimmed for winter; the movement and color can continue adding visual appeal to the winter garden. Trimming of the foliage by 4 inches should occur in the spring, approximately three to four weeks before the growing season begins. If not completed, this may inhibit growth.

To maintain a healthy, happy ornamental grass plant, assessing the plant’s overall health, visual appearance, and space should be considered. If you decide to divide the plant, this would be appropriate to complete in the spring before the growing season or in the early fall when that season has ended. Cool-season grasses tend to require more frequent division to maintain healthy appearances.

Your imagination, needs and space only limit native ornamental grass plantings. Some varieties grow well in pots, while others prefer more room. Season grasses can be a starting point and can be shared successfully with flowering perennials such as butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), New England asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) or Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium dubium or E. fistulosum) — to name just a few.

Remember that these grasses are not the kind to be walked on. Instead, they bring an easy and excellent addition to your landscape design due to their height, texture, movement, sound, contrast and color.