1997-98 Vermont Ornamental Grass Trials
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor, University of Vermont
Sites: M=USDA zone 4a, stoney loam (Winterberry Perennials, Milton);
H and Hb=4b, loamy sand (Hort. Research Center, So. Burlington)
Ratings: 5=best, 1=worst, dead; Hardy=hardiness, Value=ornamental value, Weedy=invasiveness
| Genus | Species | Cultivar | Site | In | Out | Hardy | Value | Weedy | Hgt, ft | Comments |
| Arrhenatherum | elatius bulbosum variegatum | M | 94 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | |||
| Calamagrostis | acutiflora | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | |||
| Calamagrostis | arundinacea | Overdam | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | ||
| Calamagrostis | arundinacea | Overdam | H | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3.5 | ||
| Calamagrostis | brachytricha | M | 98 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||||
| Calamagrostis | acutiflora | Stricta | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | ||
| Calamagrostis | acutiflora | Stricta | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||
| Carex | glauca | M | 95 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1.5 | slow spreading | ||
| Carex | glauca | Hb | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||||
| Carex | montana | M | 94 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.2 | |||
| Carex | morrowii | Ice Dance | M | 96 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | ||
| Carex | muskingumensis | Wachtposten | M | 94 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | ||
| Carex | muskingumensis | Wachtposten | H | 94 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | straggly, brown leaves | |
| Deschampsia | cespitosa | Bronzeschleier | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5' across mound, great! | |
| Deschampsia | cespitosa | Bronzeschleier | H | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3.5 | ||
| Deschampsia | cespitosa | Goldgehaenge | M | 94 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | few stalks | |
| Deschampsia | cespitosa | Goldgehaenge | H | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2.5 | ||
| Deschampsia | cespitosa | Goldschleier | M | 94 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | ||
| Deschampsia | cespitosa | Goldschleier | H | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2.5 | ||
| Deschampsia | cespitosa | Schottland | M | 94 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | few flw stalks | |
| Deschampsia | cespitosa | Schottland | H | 94 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3.5 | ||
| Deschampsia | cespitosa | Tardiflora | H | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3.5 | ||
| Deschampsia | cespitosa | Tautraeger | H | 94 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3.5 | most lvs brown | |
| Deschampsia | vivipara | Fairy's Joke | M | 94 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | few flowers | |
| Deschampsia | vivipara | Fairy's Joke | H | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3.5 | flops | |
| Eragrostis | trichodes | Bend | H | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | nice flowers | |
| Festuca | amethystina | April Gruen | M | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | good habit, 18" across | |
| Festuca | amethystina | Bronzeglanz | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | largest | |
| Festuca | amethystina | Klose | Hb | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | |||
| Festuca | cinerea | Solling | M | 97 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 10" width | |
| Festuca | gigantea | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | massive | ||
| Festuca | gigantea | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |||
| Festuca | glauca (cinerea) | Elijah Blue | M | 98 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Festuca | glauca (cinerea) | Elijah Blue | Hb | 94 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0.5 | ||
| Festuca | gautieri (scoparia) | Hb | 94 | 5 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Helictotrichon | sempervirens | Sapphire | M | 98 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Bitsy Ben | M | 97 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | ||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Ferner Osten | M | 97 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | ||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Ferner Osten | Hb | 98 | 2 | 5 | ||||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Kaskade | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | attractive fls | |
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Malepartus | M | 97 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | ||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Nippon | M | 94 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | weak vigor | |
| Miscanthus | sinensis | November Sunset | M | 94 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | ||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Positano | M | 97 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | ||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Puenktchen | M | 94 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | ||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Purpurascens | M | 95 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | excellent, nice fall color | |
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Purpurascens | Hb | 95 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Silberfeder | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | large | |
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Silberfeder | Hb | 97 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Silberspinne | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | dense | |
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Sirene | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | large plumes | |
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Strictus | M | 97 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | ||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Variegatus | M | 94 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4.5 | ||
| Miscanthus | sinensis | Zebrinus | M | 94 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | ||
| Molinia | caerulea | Heidebraut | M | 94 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | less vigor | |
| Molinia | caerulea | Heidebraut | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | fullest, most flowers | |
| Molinia | caerulea | Moorhexe | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Molinia | caerulea | Strahlenquelle | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | next fullest | |
| Molinia | caerulea | Hb | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | ||||
| Molinia | littorialis (c. arundinacea) | Karl Foerster | H | 94 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | ||
| Molinia | littorialis (c. arundinacea) | Skyracer | M | 98 | 4 | 5 | 5 | |||
| Molinia | littorialis (c. arundinacea) | Skyracer | H | 94 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | few fls | |
| Molinia | littorialis (c. arundinacea) | Staefa | H | 94 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | best fls, most foliage | |
| Molinia | littorialis (c. arundinacea) | Transparent | H | 94 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||
| Molinia | littorialis (c. arundinacea) | Windspiel | H | 94 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5.5 | ||
| Molinia | littorialis (c. arundinacea) | Hb | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||||
| Panicum | virgatum | Cloud Nine | M | 97 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | ||
| Panicum | virgatum | Haense Herms | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||
| Panicum | virgatum | Haense Herms | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | best, least wind breakage | |
| Panicum | virgatum | Prairie Sky | Hb | 98 | 3 | 5 | ||||
| Panicum | virgatum | Rehbraun | H | 94 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3.5 | good reddish foliage | |
| Panicum | virgatum | Squaw | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Panicum | virgatum | Squaw | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Panicum | virgatum | Warrior | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Panicum | virgatum | Warrior | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Panicum | virgatum | M | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | |||
| Panicum | virgatum | Hb | 94 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | |||
| Phalaris | arundinacea | Feesey's Variety | M | 94 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2.5 | controllable growth | |
| Phalaris | arundinacea | Feesey's Variety | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Phalaris | arundinacea | Tricolor | M | 94 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2.5 | controllable growth | |
| Phalaris | arundinacea | Tricolor | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Schizachyrium | scoparium | The Blues | M | 98 | 4 | 5 | 1.5 | |||
| Spartinia | pectinata | Hb | 94 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | |||
| Spodiopogon | sibiricus | H | 94 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | nice spike flowers | ||
| Sporobolus | heterolepsis | M | 97 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | few flowers |
Appreciation is expressed to New England Grows, the Vermont Association of Professional Horticulturists, the Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station, and Friends of the Garden for funding these trials.This project is part of a national effort, funded by the Perennial Plant Assn., and chaired by Gerry Kopf, Fulton, IL.
| Where am I? Perry's Perennial Pages | Sustainable Perennials Research | Ornamental Grass Trials |