The following photos will allow you to identify grasses. Click on image to view plant details.
Grass-Leaf Flag, Slender Sweet Flag
Origin: "Variegatus" is a cultivar. Acorus gramineus is native to Eastern Asia.
Lesser Pond Sedge
Origin: Europe to Asia
Greater Brown Sedge
Origin: Tropical Africa, Asia, Australia
Irish Green Sedge
Origin: The wild type is native to Japan
Height: 20 to 40 centimeters
USDA zone: 5 (-9.4 °F/-23 °C)
Greater Brown Sedge
Origin: Carex ornithopoda "Variegata" is a cultivar. The wild type is native to Europe.
Japanese Sedge
Origin:"Evergold" is a cultivar. Carex oshimensis is native to Japan.
Pendulous Sedge, Hanging Sedge
Origin: Europe, Asia, North Africa and invasive in some parts of the USA.
Cyperus Sedge, Hop Sedge
Origin: Europe, Asia, North America
Woodoats, Inland Sea Oats
Origin: Canada to Mexico
Spider Plant, Airplane Plant
Origin: "Bonnie" is a cultivar. Chlorophytum comosum is native to Africa.
Spider Plant, Airplane Plant, Ribbonplant
Origin: The wild type is native to Africa (tropical Africa, South Africa) and a naturalized species in other regions.
Height: 20 to 60 centimeters
Pampas Grass
South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay)
Pampas Grass
Origin: "Gold Band" is a cultivar. Cortaderia selloana is native to South America.
Dwarf Pampas Grass
Origin: The wild type is native to South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay).
Height: 90 to 150 centimeters
Pampas Grass
Origin: The wild type is native to South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay).
Height: 90 to 250 centimeters
Umbrella Papyrus, Umbrella Palm
Origin: Tropical and subtropical Africa
Height, habit: 50 to 150 centimeters, herbaceous plant
USDA zone: 12 (50 °F/10 °C)
Dwarf Papyrus Sedge, Haspan Flat Sedge
Origin: Subtropical and tropial regions in Africa, Asia, Australia, North America and South America.
Cock's-Foot, Orchard Grass, Cat Grass
Origin: Africa, Asia, Europe and as a naturalized species also in some North and South American regions as well as in Australia and New Zealand.
Origin: The wild type is native to Australia
Height, habit: Up to 1.5 meters, evergreen herbaceous plant
USDA zone: 10 (36 °F/2 °C)
Cockspur, Barnyard Millet
Origin: Nearly global
Japanese Forest Grass, Hakone Grass
Origin: Japan
Japanese Forest Grass, Hakone Grass
Origin: The wild type is native to Japan.
Japanese Forest Grass, Hakone Grass
Origin: The wild type is native to Japan.
Japanese Forest Grass, Hakone Grass
Origin: The wild type is native to Japan.
Barley
Origin: The wild type is native to Asia, Europe (Greece), North Africa (Egypt, Libya).
Japanese Bloodgrass, Blady Grass
Origin: "Red Baron" is a cultivar. Imperata cylindrica is native to South Eastern Asia and Africa.
Corkscrew Rush, Common Rush
Origin: The wild type is native to Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.
Blue Hair Grass
Origin: Europe, Asia (Siberia, Kazakhstan)
Snow-White Wood-Rush, Snowy Wood-Rush
Origin: Europe
Chinese Silver Grass, Eulalia Grass
Origin: China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Taiwan
Chinese Silver Grass, Eulalia Grass
Origin: The wild type is native to China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Taiwan.
Zebra Grass, Chinese Silver Grass
Origin: The wild type is native to China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Taiwan.
Black Mondo
Origin: Ophiopogon planiscapus is native to Japan.
Asian Rice
Origin: Oryza sativa is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions.
White Fountaingrass, Oriental Pennisetum
Origin: Caucasus, Greece, Northern Africa, Western Asia
Reed Canarygrass, Gardener's-Garters
Origin: Only cultivated. Phalaris arundinacea is native to Europe, Asia and North America.
Reed, Common or Ditch or Giant Reed
Origin: Nearly global
Height: 100 to 400 centimeters
Pygmy Bamboo, Dwarf White-Stripe Bamboo
Origin: The wild type is native to Asia (China).
Height: 50 to 100 centimeters
Baby Panda, Pygmy Bamboo
Origin: Subtropical and tropical Asia, Arabian Peninsula
White Star Sedge, White-Topped Sedge
Origin: USA to South America
Blue Grass
Origin: Albania, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia, France, Spain, Morocco, Lebanon
Palmgrass
Origin: Asia, Australia
Height, habit: 70 to 200 centimeters, herbaceous plant
USDA zone: 12 (50 °F/10 °C)
Yellow foxtail
Africa, Asia, Europe and as an introduced species also in some parts of North America and South America
Habit, height: Herbaceous, grassy plant, 10 to 100 centimeters
USDA zone: 5 (-9.4 °F/-23 °C)
Green Foxtail
Origin: Asia, Europe, North Africa
Height, habit: 5 to 50 centimeters, herbaceous plant
USDA zone: 5 (-9.4 °F/-23 °C)
Yellow Oatgrass, Golden Oat Grass
Origin: Europe, Asia (Caucasus, West Asia, Central Asia), North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia)
Height: 40 to 100 centimeters
Common wheat
Origin: The first cultivar of wheatgrass is said to have originated in Western Asia
Height: 40 to 120 centimeters
USDA zone: 5 (-9.4 °F/-23 °C)