Think beyond the lawn, and bring colorful, carefree grasses to your landscape.

As Ground Cover
Thanks to their distinctive, robust foliage -- and, in several cases, flowers that last well past fall -- these grasses offer a rich variety of tones and textures. They are attractive en masse or as calm backdrops for other kinds of plants.

Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge): Fine-textured 8-inch-long green leaves. Thrives in moist to dry soil, in sun or shade. Technically a sedge (Cyperaceae family), not a grass (Gramineae), but treated as an ornamental grass. Can be mowed as a lawn. Hardy to Zone 4.

Deschampsia cespitosa 'Schottland' (Scottish tufted hair grass): Dense 1- to 3-foot clumps of narrow semievergreen leaves. Four-foot arching stems create a mist of silky pale-green flower clusters (inflorescences) that remain attractive into winter. Easily grown in sun or partial shade. Hardy to Zone 4.

Eragrostis elliottii (Elliott's lovegrass): Soft 3- to 4-foot-tall clumps of slender blue-green foliage with airy ash-blond flowers. Best in full sun in well-drained soil. Extremely drought tolerant. Hardy to Zone 7.

Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' (blue fescue): Fine grayish-blue tufted foliage grows in neat 8-inch-tall clumps. Provides dense cover when planted close together. Drought tolerant but may brown slightly in high summer heat. Hardy to Zone 4.

Festuca mairei (Atlas fescue): Narrow, flat gray-green leaves in compact 2- to 3-foot mounds. Excellent erosion control on hillsides and stream banks. Drought, cold, and salt-air tolerant. Evergreen in cool climates. Hardy to Zone 5.

Festuca rubra (creeping red fescue): Low-growing, fine green or blue-green foliage. Spreads vigorously by underground stems (rhizomes) to form a shaggy carpet. Controls erosion on slopes. Dislikes harsh sun and extreme heat. Hardy to Zone 5.

Imperata cylindrica var. koenigii 'Red Baron' (Japanese blood grass): Erect, translucent spearlike leaves that reach 1 1/2 feet tall. Foliage starts out green with red tips in spring, gradually turning completely red in summer and bright crimson in fall. Hardy to Zone 6.

Leymus arenarius (European dune grass) 'Blue Dune': Valued for uncommonly blue foliage in loose fans that brings out similar tones in blooms of other plants. It spreads vigorously by rhizomes, making it a better companion in a container than directly in a border. Drought and salt tolerant. Hardy to Zone 4.

Nassella tenuissima (Mexican feather grass): Gracefully arching clumps of hairlike green leaves. Feathery platinum-colored summer flowers on 2-foot stems last into winter. Dormant, yet still attractive, in extreme heat. Hardy to Zone 6.

Pennisetum spathiolatum (slender veld grass): Low-growing, narrow evergreen leaves. Profuse pinkish-tan fuzzy flowers on 2- to 3-foot stiff stalks bloom from June to October. Drought tolerant. Hardy to Zone 7.

As a Focal Point
Even in a small garden, these standouts help to pace and pattern a landscape by drawing attention to key destinations. Designers use solo specimens as alternatives to man-made ornaments or fountains, especially in locations where the sun illuminates them directly or from behind.

Carex elata 'Aurea' (Bowles' golden sedge): Stunning golden foliage with color that intensifies in partial shade. Forms rounded clumps that are two feet tall and three to five feet wide. Needs evenly moist soil. Hardy to Zone 5.

Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila' (dwarf pampas grass): Lush 3- to 4-foot creamy flower plumes appear in late summer and persist into winter; 4- to 6-foot-tall clumps of narrow gray-green leaves. Hardy to Zone 8.

Hakenochloa macra 'Aureola' (golden variegated Hakone grass): Vivid-yellow bamboolike leaves, finely streaked with green that become pink in fall. Color most intense in partial shade; 1 to 2 feet tall. Hardy to Zone 7.

Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal' (blue switch grass): Rigidly vertical, 3-foot clumps of metallic-blue foliage that turns soft yellow in fall. Flowers are 12 to 16 inches long and emerge midsummer. They are good for cutting and drying. Hardy to Zone 5.

Pennisetum glaucum 'Purple Majesty' (purple millet): Purple-black foliage in clumps that are 4 to 5 feet tall, 2 to 3 feet wide. Fuzzy 15-inch wine-color flower spikes and seed heads used in dried arrangements. Grown as an annual north of Zone 9.

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' (purple fountain grass): Upright arching clumps of vivid burgundy leaves and matching foxtail blooms. Clumps are 3 to 4 feet tall and equally wide. An annual above Zone 9.