They glisten in the sun, sway and shimmer in the breeze, and provide year-round interest. This is the grace and beauty of ornamental grasses.

Planted as a sweep, they serve as a low border or a vertical backdrop; in small clusters they punctuate a garden vignette and as a single plant, they regale the viewer as a dramatic specimen. They easily add verve to a container arrangement.

The many varieties of ornamental grasses offer a plethora of choices for structure (mounding, arching or upright), color and texture. All of the following grasses are perennial in zones 4-9, unless otherwise noted, and sizes range from less than a foot to more than 6 feet.

Mounding grasses include Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca), Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’), Hair’s Tail (Lagurus ovatus (annual)), Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens), Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea), Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’), Pink Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) and Fiber Optic Grass (Isolepis cernua) (annual).

Arching grasses include Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ (annual)), Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) and Ravena Grass (Saccharum ravennae).

Upright grasses include Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima), Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ and ‘Overdam’), Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Squaw Pink Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Squaw’), Zebra Grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’), Cord Grass (Spartina pectinata), Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) and Purple Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) (annual).

Ornamental grasses produce seed heads, delighting the senses with varied textures. Feather Reed, Silver Spike, Pampas and Miscanthus sport tassels, Maiden Grass grows curled tufts, Indian Rice Grass generates grain-like seeds, Pink Muhly, Switch grass, and Cord grass display cloud-like plumes. Mexican feather sways with wispy tips and Blonde Ambition features “eyelashes” while Northern Sea Oats grow “chimes.” Among the annual grasses, Purple Millet, Hair’s Tail, and Purple Fountain Grass boast soft, fluffy plumes.

Ornamental grasses provide colors for the garden palette. For example, Blue Oat grass and Blue Fescue are a silvery blue tone, Overdam is variegated green and white while zebra grass is banded in yellow and green. Purple Fountain grass and Squaw Pink have burgundy tones. Little Blue Stem, a native, turns a vibrant rust color in autumn.

Plant ornamental grass in the spring or fall for best results. Ensure that light, soil, and water requirements are met. Many grasses require full sun, but may tolerate part sun. Apply additional water during plant establishment; use drip irrigation for a waterwise approach.

Maintaining ornamental grasses is easy. Leave them up over the winter to enjoy their structural beauty and provide food and habitat for wildlife. In early spring, simply cut them down to a few inches. To facilitate cutting, wrap the core with a rope or bungee, then cut with a sharp knife, clippers, or hedge trimmer. Periodically, divide the grass if it becomes too large or the center dies out.

So, with great visual impact, low effort and multiple options, ornamental grasses are a must-have feature in the landscape.

Submit gardening questions to csumg2@elpasoco.com or call 719-520-7684. The help desk is open 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 17 N. Spruce St. Find us on Facebook at Colorado Master Gardeners – El Paso County.