There are several types of grasses that grow in clumps or bunches rather than forming a continuous lawn or meadow. Clumping grasses are characterized by growing in compact tufts, with each plant remaining separate from the others. The growth habit of clumping grasses makes them useful for many applications in landscaping and gardening. Some of the most common clumping grass varieties include ornamental grasses, certain types of lawn and pasture grasses, and native prairie grasses.
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Ornamental Grasses
Many ornamental grasses are clump-forming rather than spreading via above-ground stems or rhizomes. The compact growth habit of ornamental clumping grasses makes them useful for adding visual interest and texture to gardens and landscapes without becoming invasive. Some popular ornamental clumping grass varieties include:
– Fountain Grass (Pennisetum species) – Graceful, arching foliage and showy plumed seedheads. Grows in clumps up to 3 feet tall and wide.
– Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) – Narrow, arching leaves with silvery seed plumes. Clumps can reach 6 feet tall and wide.
– Moor Grass (Molinia species) – Fine-textured, upright foliage and delicate seedheads. Clumps grow 1-3 feet tall.
– Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) – Bright blue-green foliage. Clumping habit with clumps reaching 8-12 inches tall and wide.
– Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra) – Shade-loving grass with graceful, cascading foliage. Clumps reach 1-2 feet tall.
Ornamental grasses provide visual interest, texture, color, and movement to gardens when planted in groupings. Their clumping growth prevents them from taking over planting beds and borders like invasive, spreading grasses.
Lawn Grasses
Several types of lawn grasses also grow in clumps rather than forming a continuous turf or mat. Clumping lawn grasses include:
– Zoysia grass – A warm-season grass that forms dense clumps of fine-bladed leaves. Clumps spread slowly via underground stems called rhizomes. Zoysia tolerates heat, drought, and foot traffic.
– Bermuda grass – A vigorously spreading warm-season grass. Bermuda spreads via above-ground stems called stolons as well as underground rhizomes, but its dense mat is composed of many separate clumps of leaves.
– St. Augustine grass – A warm-season grass with broad, flat blades and a blue-green color. Grows in irregular clumps that can reach 3 feet tall. Spreads slowly via stolons.
– Centipedegrass – A low-maintenance warm-season grass. Centipedegrass forms a lawn of many small clumps of coarse, pale green leaves. Spreads slowly by stolons.
– Buffalograss – A drought-tolerant, warm-season native grass that grows in sparse clumps, each about 6 inches wide. Buffalograss spreads slowly via surface stolons.
The clumping growth habit of these lawn grasses makes them slower to fill in than continuously spreading grasses like Kentucky bluegrass. However, they offer good heat and drought tolerance for warm climates.
Native Prairie Grasses
Many grasses native to the prairies, plains, and meadows of North America naturally grow in bunches or clumps. Their growth habit allows many native plants to coexist in prairie ecosystems. Some common native prairie clumping grasses include:
– Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) – A tall prairie grass with blue-green leaves. Clump-forming and grows 3-6 feet tall.
– Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) – A petite prairie bunchgrass with slender stems and graceful seedheads. Clumps reach 1-3 feet tall.
– Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) – Clumps of erect, yellow-green foliage and showy golden seedheads. Grows 3-5 feet tall.
– Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) – An upright clumping grass with finely textured foliage. Clumps can reach 5 feet tall and wide.
– Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) – Fine-textured clumping grass with graceful, foliage and airy seedheads. Grows in clumps 1-2 feet tall.
– Side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) – Distinctive seedheads draped to one side of clumps. Foliage takes on red tones in fall. Clumps 1-2 feet tall.
These native prairie grasses make attractive additions to meadow gardens, grasslands, or natural landscapes. Their clumping habit prevents them from crowding out other plants.
Growth Habits of Clumping Grasses
The clumped growth habit of these grasses occurs due to a combination of factors:
– Each individual plant grows as a separate culm or stalk containing its own root system.
– The plant produces new shoots and tillers close to the parent plant, leading to a compact clump.
– Most clumping grasses have limited or slow spread via above-ground stems (stolons) or underground stems (rhizomes). They spread outward more slowly than continuously mat-forming grasses.
– Some clumping grasses slowly expand by short rhizomes, leading to a very gradual increase in clump size over time. But they generally do not run and become invasive.
The limited spreading of clumping grasses makes them ideal for many landscaping applications where containment is desired. They provide texture and interest while staying neatly within bounds.
Caring for Clumping Grasses
Caring for clumping grasses involves little maintenance but a few specific practices:
– Watering – Most clumping grasses are somewhat drought-tolerant, but regular watering when young and during droughts helps them thrive. Established clumps are fairly low-maintenance.
– Division – As clumps expand, they can be divided every few years by digging up the plant and separating rooted sections. This prevents overcrowding and rejuvenates the plants.
– Cutting back – Cutting or mowing clumps back to a few inches above soil level in late winter or early spring removes old foliage and encourages fresh, new growth. Leave any intact winter interest.
– Fertilization – Applying a balanced fertilizer in spring and fall keeps clumping grasses healthy and vigorous. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers.
– Weed control – Keep clumps growing densely to prevent weed invasions. Hand pull weeds or spot treat with herbicides.
– Pests – Clumping grasses are generally resistant to diseases and insects. Check for problems like fungal diseases, scale insects, or mites and treat accordingly.
Landscaping Uses for Clumping Grasses
The neat, self-contained growth of clumping grasses makes them very versatile in gardens and landscapes:
– Specimen plants – Clumps of ornamental grasses make excellent specimen plants, focal points, or repeating vertical elements in planting beds.
– Erosion control – Clumping grasses can be used on banks and slopes to stabilize soil and prevent erosion. Their dense roots and limited spreading prevent washouts.
– Groundcovers – Allowed to fill in naturally over time, clumping grasses make attractive, low-maintenance groundcovers that suppress weeds.
– Mass plantings – Planting a monoculture mass of one clumping grass variety creates beautiful texture and naturalistic effects.
– Containers – Many smaller clumping grasses grow well in containers on patios and decks, providing fine textures.
– Water gardens – Moisture-loving grasses like Japanese forest grass thrive around ponds, waterfalls, and water features.
– Meadows – Convert lawns and old fields into meadows by planting drifts of prairie clumping grasses intermixed with wildflowers.
– Lawns – Warm-season clumping grasses make attractive, low-maintenance lawns for southern climates. They have good heat and drought tolerance.
Popular Clumping Grass Species
Some of the most popular, commonly grown clumping grass varieties include:
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Maiden Grass | Miscanthus sinensis | Large, graceful ornamental grass; silvery plumes; 5-7 feet tall. |
| Fountain Grass | Pennisetum alopecuroides | Upright foliage, showy plumed seedheads; 2-3 feet tall. |
| Feather Reed Grass | Calamagrostis x acutiflora | Arching green leaves, feathery plumes; 2-5 feet tall. |
| Japanese Forest Grass | Hakonechloa macra | Shade-loving; graceful cascading foliage; 1-2 feet tall. |
| Little Bluestem | Schizachyrium scoparium | Petite prairie bunchgrass; blue-green foliage; 2-4 feet tall. |
| Switch Grass | Panicum virgatum | Robust upright clumps; airy seedheads; 3-6 feet tall. |
| Zoysia Grass | Zoysia species | Dense fine-bladed lawn grass for warm climates; tolerates traffic. |
This table summarizes some of the most common clumping grass varieties suitable for different ornamental and lawn applications.
Key Facts About Clumping Grasses
To summarize key information about grasses that grow in clumps:
– Clumping grasses grow in compact tufts or bunches, with each plant separate from its neighbors.
– Many ornamental grasses are clump-forming, providing vertical interest without invasive spreading.
– Warm-season lawn grasses like zoysia, Bermuda, and buffalograss grow in clumps.
– Prairie grasses and bunchgrasses native to meadows and prairies grow in clumps interspersed with wildflowers.
– Clumping results from new shoots emerging close to parent plants and limited spreading of most varieties.
– Clumping grasses make attractive specimen plants, groundcovers, and erosion control plantings.
– They require minimal care besides division, cutting back, occasional fertilization and water.
– Popular varieties include maiden grass, fountain grass, Japanese forest grass, little bluestem, and zoysia.
Conclusion
In summary, many types of ornamental grasses, lawn grasses, and native prairie grasses grow in compact clumps rather than spreading out in mats or turf. Their clumping habit makes them useful for containment and vertical interest in landscapes. Clumping grasses thrive with minimal care and maintenance in gardens and lawns. Understanding the clumping growth habit helps gardeners select the right grass varieties for their desired effect and maintenance level. With their texture, motion, and versatility, clumping grasses bring attractive natural elements to a wide range of landscapes.