We much prefer using Latin names. Why? Because then we know exactly
which plant is being referred to. Common names vary according to regions,
countries, continents and sometimes even from one garden to another.
Then there is a single common name that is given to two different grasses,
such as Bunchgrass (Schizachyrium scoparium and Sporobolus heterolepis).
So common names are not very useful to nurseries! Can you imagine ordering
bunchgrass, thinking you were getting a tall plant, but ending up with
a short one?
Nonetheless we have compiled a list of common names, along with the
Latin equivalent.
| Alkali sacaton, Alkali dropseed |
Sporobolus airoides
|
| Arizona fescue |
Festuca arizonica |
| Atlas fescue |
Festuca mairei |
| Autumn sedge |
Carex dipsacea |
| Autumn moor grass |
Sesleria autumnalis |
| Bath sedge |
Carex davalliana |
| Beardgrass |
Andropogon gerardii |
| Big bluestem |
Andropogon gerardii |
| Bitter switchgrass |
Panicum amarum 'Dewey Blue' |
| Blackbent |
Panicum virgatum |
| Blooming wonder Miscanthus |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Blutenwunder' |
| Blue fescue |
Festuca glauca |
| Blue grama |
Bouteloua gracilis |
| Blue hair grass |
Koeleria glauca |
| Blue indian grass |
Sorghastrum nutans 'Sioux
Blue' |
| Bluejoint |
Andropogon gerardii |
| Blue meadow grass |
Poa glauca 'Blue Hills' |
| Blue moor grass |
Sesleria caerulea |
| Blue oat grass |
Helictotrichon sempervirens |
| Blue sedge |
Carex flacca |
| Blue switch grass |
Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal' |
| Blue wheatgrass |
Elymus magellanicus |
| Blue-green moor grass |
Sesleria heufleriana |
| Bronze veil tufted hair grass |
Deschampsia cespitosa 'Bronzeschleier' |
| Buffalo grass |
Buchloe dactyloides |
| Bunchgrass |
Schizachyrium scoparium,
Sporobolus heterolepis |
| Bush grass |
Calamagrostis epigejos |
| Chinese plume grass |
Miscanthus sinensis |
| Chinese silver grass |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus',
Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus' |
| Corkscrew rush |
Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' |
| Crested hairgrass |
Koeleria pyramidata syn. K.
cristata, K. macrantha |
| Davall's sedge |
Carex davalliana |
| Dewey Blue bitter panic grass |
Panicum amarum 'Dewey Blue' |
| Diamond grass |
Stipa brachytricha,
aka Calamagrostis brachytricha |
| Dwarf fountain grass |
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' |
| Dwarf miscanthus |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Yaku Jima' |
| Dwarf palm sedge |
Carex muskingumensis 'Little Midge' |
| Elijah's Blue fescue |
Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' |
| Eulalia grass |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Yaku Jima' |
| Eyelash grass |
Bouteloua gracilis |
| Feather reed grass |
Calamagrostis x acutiflora
'Karl Foerster' |
| Feesey ribbon grass |
Phalaris arundinacea
'Feecey' |
| Flame grass |
Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens |
| Fountain grass |
Pennisetum alopecuroides |
| Fountain spray moor grass |
Molinia caerulea 'Strahlenquelle' |
| Gardener's garters |
Phalaris arundinacea |
| Giant maiden grass |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Goliath' |
| Giant miscanthus |
Miscanthus 'Giganteus'
syn M. floridulus |
| Gold dew tufted hair grass |
Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau' |
| Gold dust tufted hair grass |
Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldstaub' |
| Golden foxtail grass |
Alopecurus pratensis 'Aureovariegatus' |
| Gray's sedge |
Carex grayi |
| Graziella maiden grass |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Graziella' |
| Great basin wild rye |
Elymus cinereus |
| Greater pond sedge |
Carex riparia 'Variegata' |
| Greater wood rush |
Luzula sylvatica |
| Green needlegrass |
Nassella viridula |
| Green sedge |
Carex dipsacea |
| Hardy pampas grass |
Saccharum ravennae |
| Hedgehog fescue |
Festuca punctoria |
| Idaho blue fescue |
Festuca idahoensis 'Siskiyou
Blue' |
| Indian grass |
Sorghastrum nutans |
| Indian ricegrass |
Achnatherum hymenoides |
| Japanese blood grass |
Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra' |
| Japanese silver grass |
Miscanthus sinensis |
| Junegrass |
Koeleria pyramidata syn. K. cristata, K. macrantha |
| Korean feather reed grass |
Stipa brachytricha |
| Lesser corkscrew rush |
Juncus effusus 'Spiralis' |
| Little bluestem |
Schizachyrium scoparium |
| Maiden grass |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' |
| Mesquite grass |
Bouteloua curtipendula |
| Mosquito grass |
Bouteloua gracilis |
| Narrow-leaved reedgrass |
Calamagrostis stricta |
| Northern reed grass |
Calamagrostis stricta |
| Northern sea oats |
Chasmanthium latifolium |
| Oriental fountain grass |
Pennisetum orientale |
| Palm sedge |
Carex muskingumensis |
| Panic grass |
Panicum virgatum |
| Porcupine grass |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus' |
| Prairie dropseed |
Sporobolus heterolepis |
| Prairie june grass |
Koeleria pyramidata syn. K.
cristata, K. macrantha |
| Purple moor grass |
Molinia caerulea |
| Ravenna grass |
Saccharum ravennae |
| Red silver maiden grass |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Rotsilber' |
| Red switch grass |
Panicum virgatum
'Rotstrahlbusch', P.
virgatum 'Shenandoah', P.
virgatum 'Squaw', P.
virgatum 'Hanse Herms' |
| Reed canary grass |
Phalaris arundinacea |
| Reed grass |
Calamagrostis x acutiflora
'Karl Foerster' |
| Ribbon grass |
Phalaris arundinacea |
| Sedge |
Carex |
| Sheep's fescue |
Festuca glauca |
| Side oats grama |
Bouteloua curtipendula |
| Silver feather grass |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder' |
| Snowy woodrush |
Luzula nivea |
| Spangle grass |
Chasmanthium latifolium |
| Spear grass |
Achnatherum calamagrostis |
| Spring blue fescue |
Festuca cinerea 'Fruehlingsblau' |
| Switch grass |
Panicum virgatum |
| Tall moor grass |
Molinia arundinacea, Molinia
arund. 'Skyracer' |
| Tall oriental fountain grass |
Pennisetum orientale 'Tall
Tails' |
| Tall prairiegrass |
Panicum virgatum |
| Tall switch grass |
Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' |
| Tufted hair grass |
Deschampsia cespitosa |
| Turkey foot |
Andropogon gerardii |
| Tussock grass |
Deschampsia cespitosa |
| Variegated maiden grass |
Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus' |
| Variegated moor grass |
Molinia caerulea 'Variegata' |
| Variegated palm sedge |
Carex muskingumensis 'Ice Fountains',
Carex muskingumensis 'Oehme' |
| Variegated reed grass |
Calamagrostis
x acutiflora 'Overdam', C. x acut 'Avalanche' |
| Weeping brown sedge |
Carex flagellifera |
| Weeping green sedge |
Carex flagellifera 'Kiwi' |
| Weeping sedge |
Carex pendula |
| Wet meadow sedge |
Carex aurea |
| Wild oats |
Chasmanthium latifolium |
| Wild oatgrass |
Sorghastrum nutans |
| Wiregrass |
Schizachyrium scoparium |