Grasses are the typical choice of plants for rock beds. They are easy to care for, drought tolerant and usually very hardy. Some types of grass are even evergreen! Below you will find beautiful ideas for using grasses in the stone bed and you will find a list of the 20 most beautiful ornamental grasses for the rock garden.

Ornamental grasses should not be missing in the stone bed

Why grasses for the stone bed

Grasses are often not companion plants in the stone bed, but rather the main actors. In general, almost all of the few plants in the selectively planted rock garden are solitary plants. In the rock garden, isolated holes are made in the barren soil for the plants, which bring green and color to the light stone landscape. Grasses have to tolerate sun and drought in the rock garden and make do with few nutrients. Since most grasses - with the exception of marsh grasses - have no problem with such conditions, ornamental grasses are the optimal choice for the stone bed. Ears of corn swaying in the wind also bring movement to the rock garden.

Use grass effectively in the stone bed

Plant gigantic ornamental grasses such as the giant Chinese reed to settle large protagonists in the middle of the rock garden. Plant smaller and more low grasses such as bearskin grass or blue fescue in locations closer to the edge of the rock bed.

A selection of the 20 most beautiful ornamental grasses for the stone bed

ornamental grass subspecies growth height wintergreen features
Atlas fescue Up to 1m Yes Long, outward-curving culms
bearskin grass Up to 20cm Yes Mottled, bushy, green
mountain sedge Up to 20cm no Low-maintenance grass that flowers in spring
blue fescue Up to 30cm Yes Bluish culms
Blue Ray Oats Sapphire Swirl Up to 1m Yes Bluish culms
Chinese reed Aksel Olsen, Malepartus Up to 4m, up to 2m no Giant grass, gigantic solitary plant
diamond grass Up to 1m no Beautiful, white ears of corn in autumn
feather grass Up to 70cm no Very delicate, feathery spikes
Pennisetum grass Hameln, Little Bunny, Japonicum Up to 60cm, up to 30cm, up to 1.2m no Beautiful, light ears
Morning Star Sedge Up to 70cm Yes Star shaped fruits
mosquito grass Up to 30cm no Mosquito-like flowers
pearl grass Up to 60cm no Beautiful, light ears
riding grass Karl Foerster Up to 1.50 m no Elongated, yellowish spikes in summer
Switchgrass Hanse Herms Up to 1.2m no Grass growing straight up
iridescent grass Up to 40cm Yes Blue-green culms
sedge The Beatles Up to 20cm Yes Nice bushy grass
silver spike grass Up to 80cm no Silvery-red spikes in summer
beach rye Up to 1m Yes Bluish culms
zebra reed strict Up to 1.5m no White and green striped culms
trembling grass Up to 40cm Yes "trembling" ears of corn

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Garden design