Get It Growing for 10/30/26

Ornamental grasses are a great way to add height, texture, movement and even color to the garden. From muhly grass and fountain grass to little bluestem grass and switchgrass, there is a plethora of options when it comes to this unique group of plants.

Many popular ornamental grasses prefer growing in full sun. An outlier is inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), which thrives in the shade.

“It’s a great choice for a native perennial grass to put in your shady areas of the garden,” said Caroline Blanchard, trials coordinator at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station. “It has these nice, graceful seed pods that hang above the foliage, and they provide texture and color throughout the season.”

The dainty seed pods resemble the common oats that we eat. They complement the plant’s blue-green leaves and seem to dance when the wind blows.

“Even in the slightest breeze, you can see them moving,” Blanchard said.

The seed pods are green in spring and summer. They turn tan and brown in fall and winter before dropping off.

The plant dies back each winter, and you can cut most of it back after first frost if you like — but you may want to consider waiting until late winter or early spring to prune, Blanchard said. Dormant grasses provide valuable habitat for birds and other wildlife, plus you’ll get more time to enjoy the seed pods.

“They’ll persist throughout the winter, so you get that color and texture all throughout the season,” she said.

She recommends planting inland sea oats, like any other native perennial, in fall. Select a shady planting site and know that it can tolerate moist — but not soggy — conditions. In nature, inland sea oats grows in damp settings such as creekbanks.

This long-lived grass forms clumps that expand over time, so be sure to space plants with plenty of room to grow.

“They do tend to get 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, so you’d want to plant them either in the back of the bed or in the center so you can plant other plants around them,” Blanchard said.

Learn about inland sea oats with LSU AgCenter horticulturists Caroline Blanchard and Jason Stagg.

Inland sea oats is a native perennial grass that does well in the shade. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Inland sea oats’ delicate seed pods move with the wind, adding visual interest to the garden. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Inland sea oats forms clumps that can grow to 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Inland sea oats dies back in winter and comes back in spring. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter