Ornamental Brown Grass
- From tan to chocolate, ornamental grass in brown tones creates a sophisticated garden. They complement vivid flower plantings, work well in containers or borders and add textural and visual interest to sun and shade gardens. Many add additional fall interest with changing colors. Mix and match light and dark browns and pair with reds, yellows and oranges for a rich garden.
- Autumn sedge (Carex dipsacea) has olive green blades and chocolate brown seed heads. In fall and winter the olive leaves turn tan or yellow. Native to the tropics of New Zealand, this ornamental grass can grow as far north as USDA PLANT Hardiness Zone 5. Autumn sedge grows up to 2 feet in height. Plant in either full sun or part shade.
- A common prairie grass adapted to Zones 3 to 8, prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) combines tones of green and brown. This grass grows 2 to 3 feet in height and produces flowers in autumn that emit a corianderlike fragrance. Prairie dropseed's inflorescence is honey brown in color and turns copper in the fall. This grass is a native North American ornamental.
- Bronzita sedge grass (Carex flagellifera) has pinkish-brown blades. This grass grown in clumps or mop-top formations and is good for accent or container planting. Plant bronzita in part shade or in sun. This brown ornamental grass reaches 10 to 12 inches in height. Never flowering, bronzita offers unusual foliage colors. Plant in Zones 4 to 10.
- Suitable for growth in Zones 5 to 9, feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora) has green leaves and pale tan inflorescence. According to the University of Illinois Extension, this grass grows well around ponds and other areas that experience light flooding. This grass's inflorescence turns darker brown in the autumn and remains on the plant through winter, giving it a brown tone and winter visual interest. This grass reaches 3 to 5 feet in height.
