Traditional prairie grasses are a must in Midwest gardens

Grasses once dominated Midwest prairies, so it is no surprise ornamental grasses are at home in Midwest cultivated landscapes.

There are types to perform a variety of duties — ground covers for hard to maintain slopes, edging along pathways, a screen for unwanted views, as specimen plants and, of course, as partners to other perennials. They contribute fine or coarse linear texture, stately or elegant form, and pretty flowers and seed heads.

Karl Foerster feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora) is an outstanding performer in Midwest gardens. Wheat-like flowers begin in June — earlier than most grasses — and continue through summer well above the 18- to 36-inch arching mound of foliage. Overdam is a smaller, white-edged cultivar. Feather reed grass tolerates a bit of shade, but best performance occurs in full sun and rich, moist soil. Create a classic combination by planting feather reed grass with black-eyed Susan and Autumn Joy sedum.

Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) features bamboo-like foliage and grows about 3 feet tall. Unique, flat, oat-shaped seed heads appear in July turning from green to rusty-brown. This grass performs handsomely in part shade and prefers rich, moist but well-drained soil. Seedlings of Northern sea oats can become a nuisance in some gardens. In my heavily mulched borders, self-seeding has not been a problem.

Tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia caespitosa) sports masses of airy flowers 2 to 3 feet above a 1- to 2-foot tall robust clump of semi-evergreen, dark green foliage. Native to the Chicago area, tufted hair grass prefers to grow in part shade and moist soil. It offers dramatic contrast to groupings of hostas and ferns.

Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) is often chosen for its graceful form. There are varieties that stay small — barely reaching 3 feet — and others that grow as tall as 7 feet. Gracillimus is an ideal candidate for formal plantings. Strictus has unusual leaves with horizontal bands of golden yellow. Plant maiden grasses in lots of sun and moist, well-drained soil. Maiden grasses are equally lovely planted as focal points or to screen unwanted views.

Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) is a native of the Midwestern prairie. It forms upright arching, 18- to 24-inch clumps of fine textured foliage. In fall, its foliage blazes golden-yellow. Prairie dropseed prefers a sunny spot and is just as beautiful when planted with coneflowers as it is when used as a mass of ground cover.

Switch grass (Panicum virgatum) is another native from the tall grass prairie. Clumps of blue-green foliage reach an impressive 4 to 5 feet. Pink-tinted flowers rise just above the foliage in July. Switch grass tolerates many soil types, including clay, and can withstand dry or moist soil. Dallas Blues grows up to 8 feet tall with wide baby blue leaf blades. North Wind is a rigidly upright variety with deep green foliage that grows 6 feet tall. Switch grass freely seeds itself about in some gardens. Remove unwanted seedlings when they are small before their roots become established.

With the wide range of heights and the variety of foliage colors and textures ornamental grasses offer, it is easy to give your landscape a Midwestern vibe.

• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist, garden writer and speaker. She blogs at gardenwithdiana.com.