Best grasses for containers – 5 choices a garden expert says will bring movement and texture to your container garden

When you first start planning a container garden, it's likely your mind is preoccupied with the endless number of bright florals to choose from. Structural and textural plants, like grasses for containers, are often the last thing to think about, but they can be fundamental to completing your display.

Ornamental grass can really bring container garden ideas together. With varying hues, textures, and even flowers, they're great filler plants for gaps in your display and can provide some evergreen interest. Not only this, but some grasses are tolerant to a wide range of growing environments, making them a good choice for those gardening in tricker conditions.

Growing ornamental grasses in pots is relatively straightforward, too, so long as you provide a large enough vessel and pay attention to their individual growing needs. Here, we take a look at five of the best grasses for containers, with advice on how to grow them from a garden expert.

5 beautiful grasses for containers

You can grow many of the best ornamental grasses for privacy in pots, too, to create some garden privacy with containers. They add height, screening, and can provide the perfect backdrop for the rest of your container garden plants.

1. Miscanthus 'Morning Light'

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 5 to zone 7
• Best for: Upright structure

This is one of the best miscanthus varieties for pots because it has an upright growth habit. It's a great option for adding height to a container display for this reason.

Hard to spot at first glance, but 'Morning Light' is variegated with green slender foliage edged by a white band.

'Use a large, deep container at least 18 inches wide and deep and feed monthly during the growing season with a balanced liquid fertilizer,' advises garden expert Michael Clarke.

'This grass prefers full sun and well-drained soil, so it's best to plant it slightly elevated in the pot' he adds.

Miscanthus 'Morning Light' is available to purchase from Nature Hills.

Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke is the founder of Yardwork and Pulled, the online platforms for everything home and garden. He has a degree in landscape architecture and horticulture from the University of California Davis. He was previously the founder of a landscape development and maintenance company.

2. Carex testacea

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 6 to zone 9
• Best for: Fiery color

This orange New Zealand sedge (available at Nature Hills), appears green when it first emerges in spring before turning a burnt orange color in summer, and copper in winter.

It's a great choice for fall container plants, providing a fiery, seasonal hue.

'This sedge thrives in moist, free-draining soil and prefers full sun to partial shade,' Michael says.

'Make sure to water daily to prevent the pot from drying out completely. You can also mulch the surface to help retain moisture in summer,' he advises.

3. Blue lyme grass

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 4 to zone 10
• Best for: Statement foliage

If you love a color scheme and have plenty of blue flowers in your container garden already, then you need to add blue lyme grass into the mix.

Its unique hue is a sure conversation-starter among visitors, and it has a clump-forming habit that makes it ideal for growing in pots.

'Blue lyme grass can be invasive in the ground, so containers work well for growing this grass,' Michael notes. 'Blue lyme grass thrives in full sun and does best when it's cut back hard in late winter to control its spread and keep growth tidy,' he adds.

Make sure to use essential pruning tools when cutting it back, like these pruning shears from Amazon.

Find blue lyme grass at Nature Hills.

4. Feather reed grass 

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 4 to zone 8
• Best for: Screening

Feather reed grass is one of the best ornamental grasses for winter interest. It's loved for it's upright spikes and feathery summer plumes. Planted in a pot, this grass can create good screening at the back of your container garden.

'Feather reed grass looks best when planted in a tall, narrow container to match its upright form,' Michael suggests. 'It enjoys full sun and moderate water. Too much water can make it floppy, so use a well-draining mix is best,' he adds.

Don't forget to cut this ornamental grass back in February to encourage new flowers to grow.

'Karl Foerster' feather reed grass (from Nature Hills) is arguably the most popular variety, with yellow flower heads.

5. New Zealand flax

• Hardiness: US hardiness zone 9 to zone 11
• Best for: Year-round interest

Although not considered a true grass, New Zealand flax is a great option for pots if you're after an eye-catching, grass-like shrub. It produces sword-shaped foliage in varying colors and variegation, making it a versatile option for a range of yards.

New Zealand flax is certainly an architectural plant and works well in containers alongside other grasses and shrubs.

'It grows best in a large pot with excellent drainage and full sun exposure. They don’t like soggy roots, so it's a good idea to add perlite (from Amazon) to the soil mix to increase drainage,' Michael advises.

Choose from a wide range of varieties, like the vibrant magenta 'Sundowner' or the dark 'Black Velvet.'

FAQs

Do grasses in pots need to be protected in winter?

This all depends on the hardiness and growing needs of the specific type of grass you're growing. But, just like any plants in pots, it's good measure to put some protection in place for the coldest time of year. This includes wrapping pots in burlap (from Amazon) to stop roots freezing and mulching to provide extra insulation. Some tender grasses may need to be covered and brought under shelter for this season, so make sure to research the requirements of the type of grass you have.

No matter how you landscape with ornamental grasses in your yard, there's no denying the drama and impact they bring to an outdoor space. When growing the best grasses for containers, make sure to avoid container gardening mistakes that could hinder the success of their growth.