Ornamental Grasses That Thrive In Part Shade

Ornamental grasses can provide unique texture, movement, and visual interest to gardens and landscapes While most ornamental grasses need full sun to thrive, there are some varieties that can grow and flourish in part shade conditions When planted in the dappled sunlight under trees or on the north side of buildings, these grasses can brighten up shady areas in stunning and graceful ways.

Why Grow Ornamental Grasses in Part Shade?

There are several benefits to incorporating ornamental grasses in part shade areas

• Add texture: With their thin, arching foliage, ornamental grasses can add delightful feathery texture to shade gardens. This helps break up solid masses of broadleaf plants.

• Provide movement: Grass leaves and flower plumes flutter gracefully in the breeze, bringing mesmerizing motion to shady spots.

• Enhance aesthetics: Grasses infuse spaces with their unique, refined beauty. Their shapes, sizes, and colors complement broadleaf plants.

• Soften edges: Grasses blur hardscape edges and help transition sharply defined spaces. Their soft forms disguise the corners and lines of foundations, fences, or walls.

• Hide dying leaves: Evergreen grass foliage conceals unsightly dying perennial leaves in winter, keeping beds looking tidy.

• Simplify maintenance: Most varieties need minimal care once established and don’t require frequent division.

Best Ornamental Grasses for Part Shade

Here are some of the top ornamental grasses that can thrive with just a few hours of dappled or morning/afternoon sun:

Northern Sea Oats

Botanical Name: Chasmanthium latifolium

Height: Grows 2-3 feet tall

Attributes: Northern sea oats produces delicate, dangling oat-like seed heads that flutter gracefully and provide year-round interest. Foliage turns bronze in fall while seed heads become copper-colored. Spreads slowly by self-seeding.

Growing Notes: Grows best in medium to wet soil. Tolerates short periods of drought once established. Cut back foliage in late winter. USDA zones 3-8.

Japanese Forest Grass

Botanical Name: Hakonechloa macra

Height: Arches up to 18 inches tall

Attributes: This Asian native has graceful, arching stems with leaves striped in green, yellow, and pink. It forms lush, flowing mounds with beautiful billowing movement. Spreads slowly in clumps.

Growing Notes: Prefers rich, moist soil. Protect from hot afternoon sun. Remove tattered foliage in early spring. USDA zones 5-9.

Tufted Hair Grass

Botanical Name: Deschampsia cespitosa

Height: Grows 2-3 feet tall

Attributes: Airy, cloud-like flowers rise over clumps of slender green blades. The foliage has a casual, wispy appearance and sways gracefully.

Growing Notes: Thrives in cool, evenly moist soil. Will spread aggressively in boggy areas. Cut back in spring to remove dead growth. USDA zones 4-9.

Bottlebrush Grass

Botanical Name: Elymus hystrix

Height: Grows 2-3 feet tall

Attributes: Fine, brush-like green flower spikes emerge in summer over wide blades. Foliage turns yellow in fall. Seed heads provide winter interest.

Growing Notes: Prefers moist, nutrient-rich soil. Tolerates clay and seasonal flooding. Self-seeds but not invasive. USDA zones 4-9.

Feather Reed Grass

Botanical Name: Calamagrostis x acutiflora

Height: Grows up to 5 feet tall

Attributes: Pinkish plumes rise above foliage in summer and take on a wheat-like color in fall and winter. Provides excellent vertical interest.

Growing Notes: Tolerates both wet and dry soil. Divide every 2-3 years in spring to control growth. Cut back foliage in late winter. USDA zones 5-9.

Blue Oat Grass

Botanical Name: Helictotrichon sempervirens

Height: Grows 2-3 feet tall

Attributes: Blue-green spiky foliage forms neat round mounds that maintain structure in winter. Tan flower spikes emerge in summer.

Growing Notes: Prefers well-drained soil. Avoid hot afternoon sun. Cut back in early spring to make room for new growth. USDA zones 4-8.

Virginia Wild Rye

Botanical Name: Elymus virginicus

Height: Grows 3-4 feet tall

Attributes: Upright, broad blades with prominent veins. Foliage emerges gray-green and matures to blue-green. Airy flowers in summer fade to beige.

Growing Notes: Tolerates a wide range of soils, even clay. Best with consistent moisture. Cut back in early spring. USDA zones 4-9.

Sweetflag

Botanical Name: Acorus gramineus

Height: Grows just 12-18 inches tall

Attributes: Fragrant, slender grassy leaves with striking variegation in white, gold, or cream. Spreads slowly by underground rhizomes into a lush groundcover.

Growing Notes: Prefers rich, moist soil. Divide congested clumps in early spring. Intolerant of hot sun. USDA zones 5-11.

Design Tips for Part Shade Plantings

When planning part shade gardens, keep these design tips in mind:

• Mix fine-textured grasses with broadleaf plants like ferns, hostas, astilbe, and ligularia. This creates diverse shapes, sizes, and visual interest.

• Use grasses to soften transitions along foundations, fences, or hardscape edges. Allow them to gently spill over borders.

• Plant grasses in drifts or swaths for greater impact rather than in single specimens dotted around.

• Set off bold-leaved plants like hostas with airy fine grasses. The contrast in textures is striking.

• Choose grasses in a variety of heights. Blend tall, arching varieties with lower cascading ones.

• Intersperse grasses among shrubs to break up large masses of foliage and introduce movement.

• Allow grasses to mingle and intertwine for a relaxed, naturalistic aesthetic. Avoid rigid separation between varieties.

Caring for Ornamental Grasses in Part Shade

Caring for ornamental grasses in part shade is relatively simple:

• Water grasses during the first year to establish deep roots. Afterward, water only during drought.

• Cut back dead foliage of semi-evergreen grasses in late winter to make way for new growth.

• Divide clumps every 3-4 years in early spring to rejuvenate overgrown plants.

• Remove spent flower plumes and seeds to discourage reseeding.

• Apply a slow-release, balanced fertilizer in early spring. Avoid high-nitrogen formulas.

• Monitor for pests like spider mites, scale, and mealybugs. Hose off foliage or use insecticidal soap.

• Ensure drainage is adequate. Grasses hate sitting in water. Amend soil if needed.

• Mulch around grasses to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Leave crown uncovered.

Best Species for Different Part Shade Exposures

Certain ornamental grasses perform better in specific types of part shade:

Full morning sun, afternoon shade: Feather reed grass, Virginia wild rye, bottlebrush grass

Full afternoon sun, morning shade: Blue oat grass, tufted hair grass

East-facing shade: Sweetflag, forest grass, northern sea oats

North-facing shade: Sedges, forest grass, sweetflag

High-canopy filtered shade: Bottlebrush grass, Virginia wild rye, blue oat grass

While most ornamental grasses need sun, there are quite a few elegant varieties that can add texture, motion, and charm to partly shaded areas. Japanese forest grass, bottlebrush grass, and Virginia wild rye are just some of the top options. Blend these grasses with shade-loving perennials and shrubs for a beautifully coordinated part shade garden that comes alive with graceful, dancing foliage. With minimal care required, ornamental grasses are an easy way to inject a refreshing new element into shadier beds, borders, and landscapes.