12 Grasses that Stand Out in Fall and Winter

Ralph Astley is a retired gardener from Philadelphia who specializes in outdoor plants and trees. With years of hands-on experience, Ralph not only cares for a diverse range of outdoor flora but also shares his extensive knowledge through well-written articles and social media posts. A trusted authority in arboriculture, he's committed to helping the community grow healthier, more robust gardens.
Learn About Our Editorial Policy

2-Minute Read

Is your fall garden looking a little too barren? Here are the best Grasses that Stand Out in Fall and Winter!

Grow these frost-tolerant, cool-season grass varieties to spruce up your fall and winter landscape. While some are stunning, tall ornamentals, and some boost native biodiversity, nearly all these plants use far fewer resources than traditional lawns and thrive in the cold!

These grasses are ideal for filling out thinning garden beds and borders with hues that change through mild autumn weather, into the nippy holiday season and spring. And they grow well in pots and containers on compact patios too!


Grasses that Stand Out in Fall and Winter

1. Annual Ryegrass

Grasses that Stand Out in Fall and Winter 1

Botanical Name: Lolium multiflorum

USDA Zone: 4-10

For a steady burst of green through winter, you need to plant the resilient, cold-hardy annual ryegrass. In fact, this plant thrives better in cold weather and cannot survive temperatures above 80 F (27 C).

This short-lived annual grows rapidly and adds fast color to old and new lawns in Northern and Southern lawns throughout the United States, especially as warm-season grasses go dormant.

2. Japanese Forest Grass

Grasses That Stand Out in Fall and Winter
reddit

Botanical Name: Hakonechloa macra

USDA zones: 5-9

This shade-loving ornamental from Japan scales up to 1-3 feet but is cherished for its gorgeous mounds of bright green arching leaves that turn a blush pink in the fall. Japanese forest grass dies back in peak winter, but with ample mulch, you can coax it to withstand some frost.

For your fall and winter garden, check out varieties like ‘Benikaze,’ which turns a bright red in the fall, or the yellow-striped ‘All Gold’ and the chartreuse ‘Aureola.’

3. Golden Japanese Forest Grass

best Fall and Winter Grasses That Are Particular

Botanical Name: Hakonechloa macra ‘Alboaurea’

USDA zones: 4-9

Ok, we clearly can’t share enough Japanese forest grass varieties, but this one warrants a special mention! ‘Alboaurea’ stands out with its dramatic, fountain-like, golden green variegated plumes for most of fall and winter.

As fall arrives, the foliage takes on a pink tint. You can also go with the “All Gold” variety whose entire foliage turns yellow-golden well into winter. This grass grows well in containers and can thrive both in sun and part shade.

4. Blue Oat Grass

best Grasses That Stand Out in Fall and Winter

Botanical Name: Helictotrichon sempervirens

USDA zones: 4-8

Among ornamental grasses that stand out in fall and winter, this may well be the one you fall in love with! With cool steel blue blades that erupt outwards like a fountain, this grass grows up to 2-3 feet in height.

It also produces oat-like golden flower panicles that last from spring into fall. It prefers medium to dry, well-draining soil and full to partial sun.

5. Northern Sea Oats

top Grasses That Stand Out in Fall and Winter
Instagram

Botanical Name: Chasmanthium latifolium

USDA zones: 5-9

This native North American decorative grass has distinct copper-tan-colored flat seed heads that last from spring to fall when its bamboo-like foliage also turns a rich bronze. During winter, it provides food and shelter for butterflies, songbirds, and tiny mammals.

You can plant northern sea oats in masses to light up your garden, but be cautious of its invasive nature. It grows rapidly from rhizomes and seeds.

6. Palm Sedge

Grasses That Stand Out in Fall and Winter
Instagram

Botanical Name: Carex muskingumensis

USDA zones: 1-4

Forming beautifully rounded clumps, palm sedge is ideal as a pathway edge or garden border during winter! A medium green in spring, the foliage transforms to a yellow-tan in the fall. This plant tolerates both drought and wet conditions and grows rapidly via rhizomes.

‘Little Midge’ is an excellent choice for a dwarf variety. Also, check out the variegated ‘Oehme’ with green leaves and yellow margins or the drought-tolerant ‘Wachtposten’ for your fall garden.

7. Feather Reed Grass

Feather reed grass for fall and winter
Instagram

Botanical Name: Calamagrostis x acutiflora

USDA zones: 4-11

Feather reed grass has fluffy foliage that remains green through fall, winter, and spring, especially in milder climes, and turns golden in regions with a stronger chill. Attracting songbirds and butterflies with its year-round cream to lavender blooms, this grass prefers well-draining fertile soil.

Choose between the ‘Karl Foerster’ or ‘Overdam’ varieties, which showcase shimmery gold-colored foliage as fall arrives.

8. Chinese Silver Grass

top Grasses That Stand Out in Fall and Winter
Instagram

Botanical Name: Miscanthus sinensis

USDA Zones: 5-9

While considered weedy and invasive, the pest-resistant Chinese silver grass looks too attractive in fall and winter to not be on this list! Feathery bronze plumes with hints of pink—it does make for one of the prettiest ornamental grasses for fall and winter months.

Cut down foliage in late winter and early spring, and mulch heavily to prevent seeds from sprouting and spreading! With foliage that turns silvery in winter, this plant provides wildlife cover to small mammals, attracts songbirds, and is your perfect au naturel privacy hedge!

9. Switchgrass

Grasses That Stand Out in Fall and Winter

Botanical Name: Panicum virgatum

USDA zones: 5-9

Switchgrass can be matched with your garden’s color scheme as the varieties come in tons of different hues. Some switchgrass varieties, like ‘Cloud Nine’ and ‘Northwind,’ start turning yellow in fall, while others turn into wine red, sunny orange, and golden yellow.

Originally a prairie grass, switchgrass was rapidly developed as an ornamental variety. It grows up to 2-4 feet in height, and its billowy plumes create an incredible form in late fall and winter!

10. Chinese Fountain Grass

Distinctive Grasses in the Fall and Winter

Botanical Name: Pennisetum alopecuroides

USDA zones: 5-9

You know this grass! With its distinct fountain-like shape and pinkish seed heads, you must have seen it all over your neighborhood—in backyards, gardens, borders, and sidewalks—as it flourishes in the fall! In late winter, its pinkish plumes become creamy and pastel.

The deer-resistant Chinese fountain grass loves full sun but can tolerate partial shade and prefers some salt in its medium.

11. Silver Feather Pampas

Fall and Winter Grasses That Are Particular

Botanical Name: Cortaderia selloana Silver Feather ‘Notcort’

USDA zones: 6-10

This variety of pampas grass is a must-have in your fall and winter garden because of its robust foliage. Speaking of foliage, each of the arching leaves has stripes of silver, giving the plant the look of a silvery clump from a distance.

Its beige-toned flowers blooms in summer and fall, and reach their peak in October. Highly resistant to salt, pollution and deer, this South American native needs ample water and fertilizers during the growing season.

12. Foxtail Grass

Foxtail Grass in garden
Instagram

Botanical Name: Calamagrostis brachytricha

USDA zones: 4-9

The foxtail grass has pinkish silver-gray flowerheads that turn a biscuit brown as fall arrives, adding texture and color during the cold months. The leaves start glossy green in spring with a clumping growth habit and become yellow with fall.

Plant them in sunny spots in well-draining soil and prune them back in spring.


These grasses will thrive in the cold, adding interest to your fall and winter garden! Let us know in the comments below which one is your favorite and why!

Recent Posts

Join our 3 Million Followers:

2.6MFollowers
300kFans
69kSubscribers

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Do not sell or share my personal information.
You have chosen to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your information from this site and any of its affiliates. To opt back in please click the "Customize my ad experience" link.

This site collects information through the use of cookies and other tracking tools. Cookies and these tools do not contain any information that personally identifies a user, but personal information that would be stored about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from them. This information would be used and shared for Analytics, Ad Serving, Interest Based Advertising, among other purposes.

For more information please visit this site's Privacy Policy.
CANCEL
CONTINUE