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Ornamental grasses: a plant for all seasons     Send a link to a friend

[JULY 7, 2004]  URBANA -- An increasingly popular alternative for home gardeners constitutes a "plant for four seasons," according to a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.

"I like to describe ornamental grasses as a four-season plant," said Greg Stack. "It comes up in the spring, the foliage matures during the summer, in the fall you have color, and in the winter you have spectacular seed heads."

Information about ornamental grasses can be found on in the "Hort Corner" section on Extension's Urban Program Resources Network website. "Ornamental Grasses" includes information on understanding the plants, the various types, how and where to plant them, and how to maintain the plants.

"With ornamental grasses, there is such a wide range of choices that the homeowner can get whatever they want," said Stack. "It is a perennial that tends to be long-term, given the right site and proper care.

 

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"Whether you want an ornamental grass that is big and bold or something more subtle in appearance, it's there."

And, Stack noted, with ornamental grasses, the color is not always green.

"There are varieties that are blue, red and variegated," he said.

The "Ornamental Grasses" site includes information on 15 different varieties of the plant.

"These grasses have become a popular new alternative for landscaping," he said. "The site helps the home gardener-landscaper understand how these varieties grow and what kinds are best for a particular location."

[University of Illinois news release]

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