Winter-hardy ornamental grasses that are suitable for the balcony are not only decorative, but can also serve as privacy screens and can be wonderfully combined with other plants. In addition, they don't take up any space in the apartment or basement, even in winter.
From A to F
Beardgrass (Andropogon gerardii 'Praeriesommer')
- Location: sunny, warm, sheltered
- Substrate: loose, permeable, dry with a pH value between 5.8 – 7.2
- Size: up to 150 centimeters
- Leaf color: grey-blue, reddish from autumn
- Flower color: grey-brown
- Flowering time: August to October
- Winter hardiness: conditionally hardy in the balcony box, so use fleece and insulation for protection
Note:
Beard grass is wonderfully suitable as a privacy screen and shade.
Bearskin Fescue (Festuca gautieri. Scoparia)
- Location: partially shaded, ideal as underplanting in balcony boxes
- Substrate: loose, moderate nutrient content, neutral pH value
- Size: ten to 20 centimeters high, 30 to 40 centimeters wide
- Foliage color: rich green
- Flower color: green to yellow
- Flowering period: June to August
- Winter hardiness: hardy, cushion-forming plant
Mountain sedge (Carex montana)
- Location: sunny to partially shaded, protected from wind
- Substrate: not prone to compaction, permeable
- Size: up to 20 centimeters high, up to 30 centimeters wide
- Leaf color: green, brownish in autumn
- Flower color: black-violet
- Flowering time: March to May
- Winter hardiness: conditionally hardy, requires protection
Blue Fescue (Festuca cinerea)
- Location: sunny
- Substrate: well-drained, barren soils
- Size: between ten and 25 centimeters high, 20 to 30 centimeters wide
- Foliage color: green to blue-gray, evergreen
- Flower color: yellowish to brown
- Flowering period: June to July
- Winter hardiness: easily hardy, even without protection
Blue oats (Helictotrichon sempervirens)
- Location: sunny
- Substrate: permeable, loose, dry and moderately humic
- Size: depending on the exact species 35 to 120 centimeters high, 50 to 60 centimeters wide
- Foliage color: blue-gray
- Flower color: yellowish
- Flowering time: July to August
- Winter hardiness: insensitive to frost, well hardy type of grass
Broadleaf sedge (Carex siderosticha 'Island Brocade')
- Location: partially shaded
- Substrate: permeable, loamy-sandy, fresh and humic
- Size: 15 to 30 centimeters high, 30 to 50 centimeters wide
- Foliage color: green-yellow-striped
- Flower color: yellow-brown
- Flowering period: June to July
- Winter hardiness: Winter protection is particularly advisable in the event of frost
Fox red sedge (Carex buchananii)
- Location: sunny
- Substrate: nutrient-rich, loamy-sandy, permeable but fresh to moist
- Size: 25 to 40 centimeters high, 30 to 40 centimeters wide
- Leaf color: reddish brown
- Flower color: reddish brown
- Flowering time: July to August
- Winter hardiness: hardy even without protection
Tip:
The fox red sedge is ideal for balcony boxes and pots and is particularly easy to care for. Its reddish-brown coloring makes it a decorative contrast all year round.
G to J
Yellow-green garden sedge (Carex hachijoensis 'Evergold')
- Location: partially shaded
- Substrate: rich in humus and nutrients, fresh but permeable and loose
- Size: 20 to 30 centimeters high, 30 to 40 centimeters wide
- Foliage color: dark green at the edges, light yellow in the middle stripe; evergreen
- Flower color: inconspicuous yellowish
- Flowering period: April to May
- Winter hardiness: requires winter protection in the balcony box
Striped Garden Pipe Grass (Molinia caerulea 'Variegata')
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
- Substrate: fresh to moist, low in nutrients, humus, loose and permeable
- Size: 30 to 60 centimeters high, 30 to 50 centimeters wide
- Leaf color: green and yellow stripes, slightly pink when shoots
- Flower color: reddish brown
- Flowering period: long flowering period for grasses from around August to October
- Winter hardiness: very hardy even without protection
Job's Tear Grass (Coix lacryma-jobi)
- Location: sunny to partially shaded and protected
- Substrate: loose, moderately nutrient-rich, fresh and humic
- Size: up to 120 centimeters high, only 30 centimeters wide
- Foliage color: rich green
- Flower color: green - the following fruits turn black-violet
- Flowering time: July to August
- Winter hardiness: only partially frost hardy, requires appropriate protection
Special feature:
Extremely rare plant, used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Japan grass (Hakonechloa macra)
- Location: partially shaded
- Substrate: loose and permeable, humic, fresh, moist
- Size: 30 to 60 centimeters high, 30 to 50 centimeters wide
- Foliage color: green
- Flower color: greenish
- Flowering time: August to October
- Winter hardiness: young plants should be comprehensively protected in winter
Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron')
- Location: sunny
- Substrate: fresh, loose, normal garden soil is sufficient
- Size: 30 to 40 centimeters high and wide
- Leaf color: green, brown-red to bright red tips
- Flower color: brownish-red
- Flowering time: September to October
- Winter hardiness: good winter hardiness
Special feature:
A decorative eye-catcher thanks to the red leaf tips
Japanese harrow (Carex morrowii 'Variegata')
- Location: partially shaded to shady
- Substrate: loamy, humic, permeable, fresh to moist
- Size: 30 to 40 centimeters high, 30 to 50 centimeters wide
- Foliage color: white edges, dark green center
- Flower color: brown-yellow
- Flowering period: May to July
- Winter hardiness: good winter hardy even without protection
L to R
Pennisetum 'Hameln' (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln')
- Location: sunny
- Substrate: moderately dry to fresh, loose, high nutrient content
- Size: 40 to 60 centimeters high, 60 to 80 centimeters wide
- Leaf color: gray-green, decorative golden yellow autumn color
- Flower color: yellowish brown
- Flowering period: July to October
- Winter hardiness: good winter hardiness, young plants benefit from light protection
Love grass (Eragrostis curvula 'Totnes Burgundy')
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
- Substrate: permeable, dry to moist; reacts sensitively to waterlogging
- Size: 80 to 90 centimeters high, 40 to 50 centimeters wide
- Leaf color: green in summer, red to burgundy in autumn
- Flower color: red to brown-red
- Flowering period: July to September
- Winter hardiness: moderately hardy, protection recommended
Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana)
- Location: sunny
- Substrate: fresh, loose and permeable, nutrient-rich
- Size: 80 to 90 centimeters high leaves, inflorescences up to 2.5 meters
- Foliage color: gray-green, evergreen
- Flower color: silvery-whitish
- Flowering time: September to October, inflorescences remain over the winter
- Winter hardiness: easily hardy
- Special feature: due to the high inflorescences, it is suitable for the balcony but not for balcony boxes,
Riding grasses (Calamagrostis x acutiflora)
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
- Substrate: loamy-sandy, nutrient-rich, permeable but fresh
- Size: depending on the variety, 90 to 150 centimeters high
- Foliage color: green
- Flower color: yellow-brown
- Flowering time: July to August
- Winter hardiness: young plants should be protected
Giant Feather Grass (Stipa gigantea)
- Location: sunny
- Substrate: dry, well-drained, barren
- Size: leaves only 30 to 40 centimeters high, inflorescences up to 180 centimeters, growth width 50 to 70 centimeters
- Foliage color: gray-green, evergreen
- Flower color: golden yellow
- Flowering period: June to August
- Winter hardiness: good winter hardiness
W to Z
Forest Marbel (Luzula sylvatica)
- Location: partially shaded to shady
- Substrate: fresh and moist, permeable, low nutrient content
- Size: 20 to 40 centimeters high, 20 to 30 centimeters wide
- Foliage color: dark green, evergreen
- Flower color: brownish
- Flowering period: May to June
- Winter hardiness: good winter hardiness
Delicate feather grass (Stipa tenuissima)
- Location: sunny
- Substrate: barren, dry but loose, neutral pH, moderately lime-tolerant
- Size: 30 to a maximum of 50 centimeters high, 25 to 30 centimeters wide
- Foliage color: green to light brown or beige
- Flower color: changes from green to silvery white
- Flowering period: June to July
- Winter hardiness: easily hardy even without protection
Note:
Due to its low height and width, the ornamental grass is ideal for a smaller balcony box or pot. The soft, delicate inflorescences can also attract attention as a dry bouquet in the home.
Dwarf Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis 'Adagio')
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
- Substrate: nutrient-rich, loose, humus
- Size: foliage up to a maximum of 90 centimeters, inflorescences up to 100 centimeters - without division up to 100 centimeters wide
- Leaf color: green, brown-gray color in autumn
- Flower color: silvery white
- Flowering time: August to September
- Winter hardiness: good winter hardiness even without further protection
