Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) – Prairie dropseed is a fascinating ornamental grass that tops out at 24-28 inches (.5 m.) in height with a 36- to 48-inch (1-1.5 m.) spread. and width of10-12 inches (25-30 cm.). This picture shows dwarf arborvitae (thuja) cultivars, clockwise from top left: ‘Little Giant’, ‘Hetz Midget’, ‘Fire Chief’ (‘Congabe’) and ‘Aurea Nana’. The only problem is that many types of ornamental grasses are too large for small to midsize yards. spread. This dwarf, shade-loving shrub has dense foliage made up of leather, lance-shaped leaves. Grows best in moist soils, needing no special care … Selected bamboo, ferns and grasses (2) Selected bamboos and grasses (40) Selected evergreen plants (11) Selected late summer colour (4) Selected perennials (2) Selected perennials (2) Selected … It is present in all New England states, though rare in some. This picture shows the compact cultivars: ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’, ‘Emerald Gaiety’ and ‘Moonshadow’. I would also recommend dividing it every few years to help keep it fresh looking. They are happy in gravel beds, pots or front of border. Buy It: 'Elijah' Blue … You don’t need to prune them to control their height. Grow them 36 to 48 inches apart in spring when Zebra Grass … These dwarf Mahonia shrubs produce clusters of yellow flowers in the shape of spikes that contrast with shiny green foliage. The shrubs are dome-shaped and only grow to a maximum of 4 ft. (1.2 m). The glossy evergreen foliage contrasts with red berries in wintertime. Molinias are the most versatile of grasses, and the changes in light from dawn to dusk, or from storm to glorious sunshine, give them different guises. Golden Variegated Japanese Sweet Flag (Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’) – This sweet flag plant reaches a height of around 8-10 inches (20-25 cm.) By: Mary H. Dyer, Credentialed Garden Writer. Blue Dune Lyme Grass (Leymus arenarius ‘Blue Dune’) – The silvery blue/grey foliage of this attractive ornamental grass will shine when given partial shade to full shade conditions. A short grass perfect for edging or as a groundcover, blue fescue offers powder-blue foliage on tidy, dwarf mounds. The winner of several international awards, this type of grass … This compact, dwarf conifer has thread-like golden-yellow needles. The colorful foliage of small evergreen Euonymus shrubs add ornamental element to any garden. Some of the best small or dwarf evergreen shrubs include: Place small evergreen shrubs in the front of house to increase the curb appeal or as a decorative element in your backyard. ), making some of these smaller types of compact ornamental grass perfect for a container on a balcony or patio. Ornamental grasses are gorgeous, eye-catching plants that provide color, texture and motion to the landscape. The dwarf cultivars only grow one or two feet high. These compact evergreen shrubs get their common name from bunches of berries that grow like grapes. ophiopogon (mondo grass - great short ornamental grass plants), carex (sedge) - the toughest of the shade ornamental grasses; chasmanthium (sea oats) And if you want ornamental grasses for sun, the … The soft needles and dense growth of dwarf yew shrubs make these conifers top choice when it comes to evergreen landscaping bushes. There are thousands of types of evergreen bushes in every imaginable height, shape, and color. Due to their small size, you can plant many different types of ornamental dwarf conifers or evergreen plants in a large backyard. However, all arborvitae shrubs have a few characteristics—soft green foliage, a dense compact nature, and they are excellent plants for hedges. … Small and stays evergreen. Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil. Let’s learn a little more about short ornamental grasses. A semi-evergreen perennial ornamental grass variety, it grows thick tufted foliage with relatively broad leaf blades. All compact holly cultivars thrive in full sun or partial shade. The Blues Weeping Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens ‘The Blues’) is a stunning type of “silvery” small evergreen tree for a small garden.You can also grow this small spruce tree in a container to grace any entrance. One of the best and most colorful of all Blue Fescue varieties, Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' is a wonderful dwarf ornamental grass, mostly grown for its superb, evergreen, bright silver-blue foliage. Their evergreen foliage has small oval leaves with a glossy shine. Zones: 4-8. Grow in full sun as a small hedge, border shrub, or accent plant. Evergreen cultivars of flowering dwarf Rhododendrons include: ‘Hino Crimson’ (left), ’Bow Bells’ (center) and Dwarf Indica Azalea (right). Small, compact, evergreen spruce shrubs are some of the most popular conifers for gardens. Some of the best dwarf yew shrubby plants include: Dwarf evergreen pine shrub cultivars include (clockwise from top left): ‘ Nana’, ‘Horseford’, ‘Green Globe’ and ‘Blue Shag’. The slow growth of these flowering bushes means that they take a few years to reach 3 ft. (1 m)—their maximum growing height. Small juniper shrub (Juniperus) —Fast growing dwarf … Here is a list of small and dwarf evergreen shrubs that are suitable for all yards. Dwarf pine cultivars thrive in full sun and are cold hardy shrubs. Boxwood shrubs can also grow as specimen plants, and their rounded growth creates attractive features in front yards. Small or dwarf evergreen shrubs are perfect for enhancing any type of garden landscape. Name: Festuca glauca. When grown together, junipers can make low hedges, and they are generally drought and deer resistant. Rhododendrons produce some of the showiest flowers on any shrub, and there are plenty of dwarf varieties for your garden. There are so many different … Dwarf Fountain Grass – Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ – This is probably the most commonly used of all the smaller grasses. Another advantage of growing dwarf evergreens such as conifers in your yard is that it lets you grow plants that, otherwise, would be too large. What Is Monkey Grass: Caring For Money Grass In Lawns And Gardens, Small Ornamental Grass Varieties: Learn About Popular Short Ornamental Grasses, Ornamental Maiden Grasses: How To Grow Maiden Grass, Wintercreeper Control – How To Get Rid Of Wintercreeper Plants, Getting Rid Of Chinese Privet: How To Kill Chinese Privet Shrubs, Upright Boxwood Plants – Growing Fastigiata Boxwood Bushes, Types Of Euonymus – Choosing Different Euonymus Plants For Your Garden, When Do Asters Flower: What To Do If Aster Plants Don’t Bloom, Growing A Salad Bowl Garden: Learn How To Grow Greens In A Pot, What Is A Lowbush Blueberry – How To Grow Lowbush Blueberries, Spruce Trees For Landscaping - Spruce It Up With Evergreens, Western Juniper Trees: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, Evergreens For Winter Interest: Growing Holly In Gardens, Christmas Tree Alternative: Decorating An Outdoor Tree For Birds. … Dwarf varieties of rhododendrons grow between 2 and 6 ft. (0.6 – 1.8 m), depending on the variety. Some compact landscaping arborvitae shrubs have a rounded growth habit, whereas others have a pyramidal shape. Japanese Skimmia evergreen bushes produce an abundance of scented flower clusters that turn into ornamental red berries. Their delicate needle-like foliage can be emerald green or bluish-green, depending on the cultivar. In fact, it is the state flower of Connecticut. Choosing the perfect perennial grass comes down to several factors. Spruce shrubs and small trees have upright growth and dense foliage that make them ideal for evergreen hedges, foundation planting, or as a specimen plant. If the winter is mild this one can be an evergreen too. And, there are no leaves to clear up in the fall. Compact evergreen boxwood shrubs are the classic hedging plants for living green screens. This is a very low-maintenance bushy plant if you want beautiful foliage and bright, showy flowers. Cool-Season Evergreen Grasses Also called giant feather grass, golden oats (Stipa gigantea) is an evergreen grass with golden, airy blooms that protrude above the foliage during late spring. Arborvitae shrubs and small trees are some of the most common hedging plants used as privacy screens or windbreaks. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Some of the best dwarf arborvitae cultivars: Grow the compact ‘Golf Ball’ Pittosporum shrub with its rounded shape in a sunny location. Some of the best small spruce shrubs are: The spreading low growing nature of Juniper ‘Nana’ makes it an ideal ground-cover evergreen shrub or great for landscaping a rock garden. Generally, dwarf, evergreen shrubs only grow a few feet high. The winter heath is a compact flowering evergreen that is one of the earliest dwarf shrubs to bloom and has delightful purple flowers. While we tend to think of grass as short green shoots erupting from the base of the earth, these perennial ornamental grasses … Dwarf yew cultivars are hardy and dense evergreen shrubs. Grow the ornamental shrub in full sun as a little border shrub, specimen plant, or 3-foot (1-m) high flowering hedge. The shrub produces scented purple flowers. But you can also find dwarf trees that have shrub-like growth. This small grass-like plant has bronze to black, thick, grass-like leaves. Architectural silhouettes (38) Attractive seedheads (26) Autumn foliage colour (2) Berries or fruit (4) Coloured leaves (20) Colourful bark or stems (11) Easy to grow (5) Evergreen / semi evergreen … The answer? Clumping evergreen foliage is a rich khaki green and grows in an arching clump. Most compact yews have upright growth and thrive in full sun. Black mondo grass is among the coolest looking evergreen groundcover plants available, though technically, it’s not green. When we use the term “ornamental grasses” we’re referring to a group of plants that look like grasses and have similar growth habits, but aren’t restricted to the true grasses of the Poaceae family.For example, sedges and carex belong to the Cyperaceae family, while rushes belong in the Juncaceae clan. So, they don’t risk causing shadows on your house or your neighbor’s backyard. Growing dwarf hollies as security or privacy hedges is a low-maintenance landscaping solution for any garden. Little Kitten Dwarf Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Little Kitten’) – Maiden grass makes a lovely addition to nearly any garden and this smaller version, only 18 inches (.5 m.) by 12 inches (30 cm.) The needle foliage can be green, blue, or gold, depending on the cultivar. Here are eight popular dwarf ornamental grass varieties for smaller gardens – just a handful of the many short ornamental grasses currently on the market. Flowers can be colors ranging from purple to pink, white, red, orange, and blue blossoms. The … Not growing taller than one foot (1 m) winter heath provides plenty of color to late winter and early spring landscapes. Some of the best compact boxwood shrubs are: In this image: Picea abies ‘Little Gem’ (left) and Picea pungens ‘Glauca Globosa’ (right). Yew dwarf shrubs are excellent hedging plants, ornamental border shrubs, or attractive foundation plants. with a similar spread. Blue Dune lyme grass reaches a mature height of 36-48 inches (1 -1.5 m.) and width of 24 inches (.5 cm.). There are many types of dwarf ornamental grass that fit nicely into a smaller garden, but provide all the benefits of their full-size cousins. Size: To 1 foot tall. Zebra grass is known as Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus' botanically. In early summer, silvery, reddish-brown flower spikes emerge from the dense mounds of slender, mid-green arching … Unlike trees that have a single trunk, shrubs have multiple woody stems growing from the ground. Japanese Forest Grass. The best short, compact pine shrubs for front or backyards: The low growing golden charm false cypress is an evergreen shrub and is great for front of house landscaping. Elijah Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’) – Some blue fescue varieties can get somewhat large, but this one only attains a height of 8 inches (20 cm.) Aug 18, 2015 - Explore Job's Nursery LLC's board "Evergreen Ornamental Grasses", followed by 414 people on Pinterest. Here are eight popular dwarf ornamental grass varieties for smaller gardens – just a handful of the many short ornamental grasses currently on the market. with a 12-inch (30 cm.) This green and pale yellow upright beauty dies back in winter, … Varieties of compact, miniature shrubs aren’t just for growing in small yards. Along with their scientific names, the list of plants below includes descriptions and pictures of these compact shrubs to help you choose the best ones for your garden. Excellent examples of dwarf juniper shrubs include: Skimmia Japonica ‘Rubella’ is a small flowering evergreen shrub that is easy to care for and loves shade. in the picture: English yew ‘Repandens’ (left) and Taxus media Densiformis (right). Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) With narrow steel-blue leaves and growing in round clumps, the Blue Oat grass is a semi-evergreen that is low-maintenance and starts out in early to mid summer as small spikelets that are straw-colored. The lovely variegated green/gold foliage looks great in either full sun or partial shade settings. Plant them in partial sun in moist soil conditions for the desired results; established grasses can resist short periods of drought-like conditions. These are our recommendations for ornamental grass varieties best-suited to containers, moist soils, shady … The Most Amazing Types of Azaleas (Rhododendron spp. by 8 inches (20 cm. Usually, juniper shrubs love sunlight and thrive in most soil conditions. Some of the best compact wintercreeper shrubs are: Buxus microphylla ‘Green Pillow’ (in the picture) is a compact low growing evergreen shrub with rounded shape. Sign up for our newsletter. The silvery blue/green foliage dominates in full sun locations. Some species of evergreen hollies have dark-green foliage, whereas others have bright, variegated spiky leaves. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a broadleaf evergreen that you may be very familiar if you have been on walks through the woods in New England in June. 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