Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic, summer texture, cotton-candy pink autumn color, and winter standing presence on a 2–3 ft-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Virginia · Zones 6–8
Native Ornamental Grasses in Virginia
Native grasses and sedges that bring movement, winter structure, and bird seed — the matrix that ties a planting together. Virginia sits in a landscape of Blue Ridge, Piedmont & Tidewater, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid, four-season character. The list below — led by Pink Muhly Grass and Pennsylvania Sedge — is filtered to species genuinely native to Virginia and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–8. Native grasses are the connective tissue of a natural planting, weaving between the flowers, holding the soil, and standing handsome through the whole winter. Warm-season grasses want full sun and lean soil and green up late, so don't give up on them in May. Cut everything back to a hand's height in late winter, just before new growth, and that's the entire job.
The plants
7 native species for Virginia
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic, a 6–12 in-tall native grass that knits the bed together and feeds seed-eaters.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic, a grass that earns its keep in fall and winter — airy pink-gold panicles color, 3–6 ft tall, seed for the birds.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic, summer texture, blue-green to copper autumn color, and winter standing presence on a 2–4 ft-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic, warm-season grass turning fine emerald to amber in fall and holding its form all winter, for sand, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic, a grass that earns its keep in fall and winter — bronze-purple seed heads color, 4–7 ft tall, seed for the birds.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic, summer texture, bronze-gold plumes autumn color, and winter standing presence on a 4–7 ft-tall native grass.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Virginia
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.