• Home
  • Availability
  • Request our Services
  • Gift Card
  • Hours and Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Blog

Edge Of The Woods Native Plant Nursery, LLC

Specializing in plants native to mid-Atlantic ecosystem

August 10, 2020

Species Spotlight – The Native Grasses Part Three

Native Grass Species for specific uses and conditions

As described in Parts One and Two of this series, native grasses are easy to grow, add visual interest to the garden, and have tremendous ecosystem benefit.  Until recently, the word ‘grass’ conjured up an image of a tidily maintained lawn or golf course.  We’ve come to learn that grasses have many other uses in the landscape.

There are two types of grass:  warm season grasses and cool season grasses.  Cool season grasses stay green year round, and include all the (non-native) turf grasses.  Warm season grasses go dormant in the winter.  They add visual and architectural interest to the landscape in their golden, dormant state.

Some native grasses will tolerate mowing and can be kept short.  You might want to mow them so they set off your perennial beds (much as turf grass would) or for light foot traffic.

It is important to understand your site conditions so you can select the right grass for your site.  Here are some useful lists taken from “Native Ferns, Moss & Grasses” by William Cullina of the New England WildFlower Society.  It is part of a series of books on native plants.  We highly recommend any of the books in this series.

Warm Season Lawn Grasses Tolerant of Mowing

  • Bouteloua species (Grama grass)
    Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Blue Stem)

Grasses and Sedges (and a rush) for Dry or Sandy Soil in Sun

  • Andropogon virginicus (Broom Sedge)
  • Eragrostis spectability (Purple Love Grass)
  • Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass)  salt tolerant
  • Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Blue Stem) salt tolerant
  • Sporobolus species (Prairie Dropseed)

Grasses and Sedges for Wet Soils in Sun or Part Shade

  • Andropogon glomeratus (Bushy bluestem)
  • Juncus sp. (Rush)

Grasses and sedges for Woodland Gardens, Part Sun to Shade

  • Carex flaccosperma (Thin fruit sedge)
  • Carex laxiculmis (Spreading Sedge)
  • Carex plantaginea (Plantain Sedge)
  • Carex platyphylla (Silver Sedge)
  • Elymus hystrix (Bottlebrush grass)

Grasses and Sedges (and one rush) for Sunny Perennial Gardens or Mass Planting

  • Carex appalachia (Appalachian Sedge)
  • Carex grayi (Gray’s Sedge)
  • Carex muskingumensis (Palm Sedge)
  • Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats)
  • Elymus hystrix (Bottle Brush Grass)
  • Juncus effusus (Soft rush )
  • Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass)
  • Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Blue Stem)
  • Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass)
  • Sporobolus species (Dropseed)

Grasses and Sedges for Dry Shade (just one)

  • Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania Sedge)

 

For information on specific grass species, visit this post.

For information on specfic sedge species, visit this post.

Article by Louise Schaefer / Plants, Uncategorized

Recent Posts

  • Happy 4th of July Weekend
  • Species Spotlight: Cotinus obovatus
  • Pollinator Plants: The Mountain Mints
  • Pollinator Plants: Rudbeckia
  • Pollinator Plants: Echinacea

News

CLOSED ON MONDAY JULY 4th

Currently Seeking Team Members

Jobs at EOTW

Open For Retail Shopping (Last Checkout 4PM)

Sunday Closed
Monday 4th of July (July 4, 2022)12:00 am – 12:00 am
Tuesday – Saturday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Our Plants

View our plant signage here:
Trees, Shrubs, Vines (Common Name)
Perennials Plants (Common Name)
Trees, Shrubs, and Vines (Botanic Name)
Perennial Plants  (Botanic Name)

Our Newsletter

Click here to see recent issue of our e-news and to sign up to receive it.

Find Us On Facebook

Testimonials

So far the best Native plant nursery I have seen in the Southeast PA area. Well worth the trip. Friendly and they LIKE to work with the public! BRAVO!

Randy

Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery, LLC
A WBE Certified Woman Owned Business
Promoting Native Plants Since 2003

2415 Route 100, Orefield, PA 18069
(610) 395-2570
Email Us

Our Nursery

  • Gift Card
  • Our Plants
    • -Starter Kits
    • -Plugs/Liners
    • -Plant Lists
    • -Plant Guarantee
    • -Order Form
  • Planning Your Visit
    • -Hours/Directions
    • -Nursery Tours
    • -First Time Visitor?
  • Shipping
  • Customer Loyalty
  • Sample Designs

Our Services

  • Why EOTW?
  • Site Visits
  • Consultation
  • Maintenance & Design
    • -Request Services
    • -Rates
  • Photos
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Pay An Invoice
  • Our E-Newsletter

Other Info

  • About Us
    • -Our Mission
    • -Women’s Business Enterprise Certified
    • -Community Outreach
    • -Testimonials
    • -Feedback
  • Helpful Links
  • Books
  • Jobs at EOTW
  • FAQs
  • Site Index

Connect With Us

Copyright © 2022 · Site Developed by: KLK Web Services, LLC