A gardener’s guide to ornamental grasses for UK gardens: popular favourites and the more unusual beauties

Ornamental grasses have become must haves in British gardens. They soften borders, add movement, bring height, and offer colour right through autumn and winter. They also mix perfectly with the perennials most UK gardeners already love, including Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Verbena bonariensis, and Salvia.

If you are planning a new border or a full garden redesign, grasses are one of the most cost effective ways to create a professional finish. They also happen to be low maintenance, which is ideal for busy homeowners.

For help choosing the right planting scheme, see our [border planting services] or [full garden design] pages.

Why ornamental grasses work so well in UK gardens

Grasses solve design problems that shrubs and perennials often cannot. They fill awkward gaps, add year round structure, and make borders feel more natural and balanced. Many are drought tolerant once established, and some cope with shade where other plants struggle.

Key benefits:

• Long season of interest from spring to winter

• Movement and texture that bring a border alive

• Seeds and stems that support wildlife

• Works in clay, loam, sandy soils, and raised beds

• Ideal for prairie style, cottage style, and modern schemes

• Great in pots for patios and courtyards

Your only real job each year is cutting them back in late February before new shoots appear.

The most popular ornamental grasses for UK gardens

Miscanthus sinensis

(maiden grass)

A tall, elegant grass that adds structure from midsummer through winter. Perfect for mixed borders and wide beds.

Top varieties: Gracillimus, Morning Light, Ferner Osten.

Great for: privacy screening, autumn colour, height in small spaces.

Pennisetum alopecuroides

(fountain grass)

One of the most loved grasses thanks to its soft bottlebrush seed heads and compact shape.

Best varieties: Hameln, Little Bunny, Moudry.

Great for: sunny borders, gravel gardens, low maintenance planting.

Stipa tenuissima

(Mexican feather grass)

Known for its fine, hair like texture and constant movement.

Great for: naturalistic planting, dry gardens, edging, pots.

Calamagrostis x acutiflora

‘Karl Foerster’

If you want something upright, architectural, and tidy, this is the grass to choose. It is perfect for creating rhythm through a border.

Great for: narrow borders, modern designs, windy sites.

Hakonechloa macra

(Japanese forest grass)

A shade tolerant grass with gently cascading leaves. Ideal for softening paths, ponds, and underplanting shrubs.

Varieties: Aureola, All Gold, Nicolas.

Great for: woodland gardens, shady courtyards, containers

Molinia caerulea

subsp.

arundinacea

‘Transparent’

A dramatic, airy grass used in high end naturalistic schemes. The flower stems rise above the foliage and shimmer in the sun.

Great for: larger borders, wildlife friendly planting, autumn highlights.

Sporobolus heterolepis

(prairie dropseed)

A compact, scented grass. The seed heads smell slightly like toasted coriander or popcorn in late summer.

Great for: dry soils, prairie schemes, gravel gardens.

Panicum virgatum

(switchgrass)

Excellent autumn colour with red, wine, or bronze tones depending on the cultivar.

Varieties worth trying: Shenandoah, Squaw, Dallas Blues.

Great for: colour themed planting and late season drama.

Anemanthele lessoniana

(pheasant’s tail grass)

Evergreen and gently coloured with copper and orange tones. Thrives in mild and coastal areas.

Great for: coastal gardens, slopes, mixed borders with winter interest.

Deschampsia cespitosa

(tufted hair grass)

Light, cloud like plumes that look beautiful in shade or part shade.

Great for: damp soil, woodland edges, naturalistic designs.

How to pick the right grasses for your garden

Consider height

Tall grasses such as Miscanthus and Calamagrostis add structure. Smaller grasses like Stipa and Pennisetum create softness.

Check your sunlight

Sun lovers: Pennisetum, Stipa, Panicum, Calamagrostis.

Shade tolerant: Hakonechloa, Deschampsia.

Think about soil

Good drainage suits the majority of grasses. Clay soil works well for Calamagrostis, Molinia, and Miscanthus.

Mix textures and habits

A combination of upright, arching, and fine textured grasses gives a designer look with very little effort.

Keep them standing in winter

Grasses look best from autumn into January. Only cut them back in late winter.

Perfect perennial partners for ornamental grasses

For that magazine worthy, naturalistic look, pair your grasses with:

• Echinacea purpurea

• Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’

• Verbena bonariensis

• Hylotelephium ‘Autumn Joy’

• Persicaria amplexicaulis

• Salvia nemorosa

These combinations give colour from June to October, with strong structure throughout winter.

Final thoughts

Ornamental grasses are one of the simplest ways to elevate a garden. They add movement, texture, structure, and colour for months on end. Whether you love popular favourites such as Pennisetum and Stipa or want something unusual like Molinia ‘Transparent’ or Sporobolus, there is a grass for every garden style.

If you want expert help choosing the right plants, Flourish Landscaping creates planting plans, full garden designs, and seasonal plant lists tailored to your soil and style. Visit our [garden design], [planting services], or [maintenance] pages for more ideas.