Dozens of ornamental grasses are now available, and new forms are being added each year. The reasons for this astonishing rise in popularity appear to center around the practical, as well as the aesthetic merits of ornamental grasses. As the public becomes more environmentally aware, and learns more about low maintenance plants and sustainable landscapes, ornamental grasses that can tolerate extremes of drought and wetness are eagerly sought. Many ornamental grasses are also able to endure the repeated soil freezing and thawing typical of northeastern winters. Ornamental grasses are also a part of the growing popularity of water gardening, as transitional elements between dry land and water.
Ornamental grasses serve many functions in the landscape.
Ornamental grass foliage catches the wind, adding a sense of motion to the landscape. The native prairies of the Midwest were often described as an inland sea. Tall grasses also rustle in the wind, adding sound as a new dimension to the landscape. In a border, grasses can be used as edging or background plants, while larger specimens can be accent plants or screens. Diminutive species can be utilized in rock gardens.