What Are the Best Ornamental Grasses for NE Florida?
Northeast Florida's subtropical climate is ideal for a wide range of ornamental grasses. The best performers for this region combine heat tolerance, drought resistance, and visual interest across multiple seasons. Here are the standout varieties available at Tropical Yards:
Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)
Muhly Grass is one of NE Florida's most spectacular native grasses. It forms attractive green clumps through spring and summer, then erupts in a cloud of airy pink-purple plumes in October and November. The plumes last for weeks, creating dramatic drifts of color in fall gardens. Muhly Grass grows 3–4 feet tall and wide, tolerates drought and salt spray, and is deer-resistant. It is an ideal choice for mass plantings along driveways, in medians, and along the edges of coquina shell pathways. Available at $24.99 in 10-inch pots.
- Muhly Grass for sale St. Augustine FL — native grass, pink fall plumes, $24.99
- Buy Muhly Grass Ponte Vedra Beach — salt-tolerant, deer-resistant, drought-tough
- Muhly Grass mass planting Jacksonville Beach — spectacular fall color in drifts
- Muhly Grass landscape Palm Coast — 3–4 ft clumps ideal for borders and medians
- Florida native grass Flagler County — Muhly thrives without irrigation once established
Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum)
Fountain Grass is one of the most versatile ornamental grasses for NE Florida landscapes. It forms graceful, arching clumps topped by long, soft flower plumes that sway beautifully in the breeze. Red Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum) offers dramatic burgundy-bronze foliage all season and is one of the most-requested plants at Tropical Yards. White Fountain Grass provides a softer, more natural look with cream-colored plumes. Both varieties are extremely heat-tolerant and thrive in Florida's long, hot summers. Fountain Grass typically grows 3–5 feet tall depending on variety. Priced at $24.99 in 10-inch pots.
- Red Fountain Grass for sale St. Augustine — burgundy foliage all season at $24.99
- Fountain Grass plants Nocatee FL — arching habit, feathery plumes, heat-tolerant
- Buy Fountain Grass Palm Coast — white and red varieties in stock
- Ornamental grass landscape Flagler Beach — Fountain Grass ideal for mass plantings
- Pennisetum Rubrum Jacksonville — burgundy color year-round in NE Florida
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)
Lemongrass is a dual-purpose ornamental grass that serves as both a striking landscape plant and a culinary herb. It forms large, elegant clumps of blue-green foliage with a strong citrus fragrance that naturally repels mosquitoes — making it popular for patio and pool areas across NE Florida. Lemongrass grows vigorously in Florida's heat and humidity, reaching 3–5 feet tall and wide. It is drought-tolerant once established and can be divided every few years to share with friends or expand plantings. While Tropical Yards' current inventory focuses on Muhly, Fountain, and Fakahatchee grass varieties, our team can source lemongrass on request for bulk orders.
Fakahatchee Grass (Tripsacum spp.)
Fakahatchee Grass is a Florida native that excels in wet, low-lying areas where few other ornamental grasses survive. Available in both dwarf (18–24 inches) and regular (3–4 feet) sizes, Fakahatchee Grass forms dense, weeping clumps of fine-textured foliage ideal for pond edges, rain gardens, and drainage swales. It tolerates both standing water and periodic drought, making it extraordinarily adaptable to NE Florida's feast-or-famine rainfall patterns. The dwarf variety is especially popular for low-maintenance borders alongside hedging plants. Available at $24.99 in 10-inch pots.
- Fakahatchee Grass dwarf St. Augustine — 18–24" height, ideal for borders
- Florida native grass Palm Coast — Fakahatchee thrives in wet or dry conditions
- Pond edge grass Flagler County — Fakahatchee tolerates standing water
- Low-maintenance grass Ponte Vedra Beach — minimal care once established
- Rain garden grass Jacksonville FL — Fakahatchee ideal for drainage areas
