Tall growing grass plants
Grasses are invaluable garden plants – evergreen grasses are perfect for adding architectural flare to your beds, borders and containers with their beautiful, sword-shaped leaves while deciduous grasses have a calming demeanour with light, airy foliage that gently rustles in the breeze, perfect for sensory spaces and relaxing seating areas at the bottom of the garden. Depending on the site and situation, height may be important. Perhaps you’re looking to use grasses to cover an unsightly object or outbuilding which would still be left partially in view if the chosen plants did not reach a certain height. Maybe grasses will be used to informally delineate different parts of the garden and you’re looking for something a little more than a low hedge. Or you may be looking for a specimen plant to use as a centre-piece which would look out of place if it was too tiddly compared to other garden features.
In this section, we’ve handpicked the best tall growing grasses which would fit the bill in these types of situations. Please bear in mind that these are selected based on their eventual height under average growing conditions – supplied height may be shorter and sub-optimal conditions may stunt their growth. Also, some grasses such as pampas grass produce flower spikes which are held high above the foliage on tall stalks, which may be shown in the pictures. You’ll want to consider the height of the year-round foliage structure (assuming they are evergreen) for these plants, rather than solely consider the height of the flower spikes which will only provide seasonal coverage for part of the year. Beginner gardeners may find our guide to ornamental grasses useful.