Are you looking to create a natural privacy screen in your yard? Tall ornamental grasses offer an elegant, low-maintenance solution that can transform your outdoor space into a secluded sanctuary.
These majestic plants not only provide effective screening but also add movement, texture, and year-round visual interest to your landscape.
Before diving into the specific grass varieties, here’s why ornamental grass privacy screens are an excellent choice for your yard:
Key Benefits of Grass Privacy Screens
- Create natural, soft boundaries that move gracefully in the breeze, adding dynamic visual interest
- Establish privacy barriers quickly due to rapid growth rates, typically reaching maturity in just two seasons
- Provide cost-effective alternatives to traditional fencing, with most varieties available for under $10 per plant
- Offer low-maintenance solutions that require minimal care once established
- Attract beneficial wildlife like songbirds while adding year-round texture and color to your landscape
From towering pampas grass to elegant feather reed varieties, here’s a guide to the 12 most effective privacy-creating ornamental grasses.
1. Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana)
This striking ornamental grass reaches impressive heights of 8 to 12 feet, making it perfect for privacy screening. Pampas grass showcases spectacular silvery plumes in fall that create a stunning visual display.
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Its drought-tolerant nature means minimal maintenance, though careful consideration is needed as it can become invasive.
Planting Guide:
- Choose a sunny location with well-draining soil
- Space plants 6 feet apart
- Plant in late spring after the last frost
- Water regularly until established
2. Chinese Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis)
Growing up to 10 feet tall with a spread of 6-8 feet, Chinese silver grass creates an impressive natural barrier. Its spectacular flower plumes emerge in late summer with a purple flush, maturing to shimmering silver.
The plant requires minimal maintenance, needing only an annual cut to the ground in late winter.
Planting Guide:
- Plant in full sun
- Provide rich, moist soil
- Space plants 4 feet apart
- Cut back in early spring
3. Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
This unique grass features bamboo-like foliage and distinctive flat seedheads that dangle from arching stems. Growing 3-5 feet tall, it provides excellent screening at mid-height levels.
The plant offers year-round interest with green summer foliage that turns copper in fall, while the seedheads persist through winter.
Planting Guide:
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- Grows in full sun to partial shade
- Tolerates various soil conditions
- Space plants 2-3 feet apart
- Control spread by removing seedheads
4. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
This prairie-style grass grows 3 to 9 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, offering excellent screening capabilities. Its blue-green leaves turn striking orange in fall, while airy panicles of off-white to light pink flowers extend above the foliage.
Switchgrass thrives in various soil types and adapts well to different conditions.
Planting Guide:
- Plant in full sun to partial shade
- Provide moist soil
- Sow seeds 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep
- Maintain soil temperature above 55°F
5. Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora)
Growing 3-5 feet tall, feather reed grass creates an elegant vertical screen. It produces beautiful pink to purple blooms in summer and fall, adding visual interest to your privacy screen. This cool-season grass performs best in temperatures below 105°F.
Planting Guide:
- Choose full sun location
- Plant in rich, moist soil
- Water weekly
- Add winter mulch for protection
6. Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris)
A spectacular screening option, bamboo can grow rapidly to create dense privacy barriers. Various bamboo species offer different heights and spreads, with some reaching impressive heights.
However, careful selection is crucial as some varieties can become invasive.
Planting Guide:
- Plant in well-draining soil
- Mix soil with compost
- Provide adequate spacing
- Water regularly until established
7. Ravenna Grass (Tripidium ravennae)
Also known as hardy pampas grass, Ravenna grass reaches heights of 8 to 12 feet. It produces elegant silver-white, feathery plumes that create movement in the garden.
This grass forms a formidable privacy barrier but requires monitoring to prevent spreading.
Planting Guide:
- Plant in full sun
- Provide well-draining soil
- Check local regulations before planting
- Maintain adequate spacing
8. Blue Lyme Grass (Leymus arenarius)
This striking grass features intense blue-gray foliage that creates a bold architectural statement. Growing 2-4 feet tall with spreading capability, it’s excellent for creating wide privacy screens.
The metallic blue coloring provides unique visual interest throughout the growing season.
Planting Guide:
- Plant in full sun
- Tolerates poor soil and drought
- Space plants 3 feet apart
- Install barriers to control spread
9. Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum)
Fountain grass grows 3 to 5 feet in height and spread and creates an attractive natural screen with fuzzy catkins. Its foliage remains appealing through winter, providing year-round privacy. The plant thrives in full sun but tolerates partial shade.
Planting Guide:
- Plant in spring
- Space adequately
- Water until established
- Avoid fertilization
10. New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax)
With broad, strap-like leaves reaching heights over 5 feet, New Zealand flax provides excellent screening. Some cultivars grow up to 12 feet high, offering various color options including green, red, copper, or yellow tones.
Planting Guide:
- Plant in sheltered locations
- Provide well-draining soil
- Space plants 4 feet apart
- Water moderately
11. Porcupine Grass (Hesperostipa spartea)
This striking variegated grass grows 6 to 8 feet tall, creating an effective privacy screen. Its distinctive striped foliage provides visual interest from summer through winter. The plant proves particularly deer-resistant, making it ideal for rural settings.
Planting Guide:
- Choose full sun to partial shade
- Ensure moist, well-draining soil
- Space adequately
- Divide clumps as needed
12. Giant Reed (Arundo donax)
This impressive grass can reach towering heights of 15 to 20 feet in a single season, making it one of the tallest ornamental grasses available. Its broad, blue-green leaves create a dense screen, while dramatic plumes appear in late summer.
The plant offers quick privacy solutions but requires careful management due to its vigorous growth.
Planting Guide:
- Plant in full sun
- Provide rich, moist soil
- Space plants 6 feet apart
- Install root barriers to control the spread
Creating a natural privacy screen with ornamental grasses offers an elegant, sustainable solution for your landscape. These versatile plants not only provide the seclusion you desire but also contribute movement, texture, and year-round visual interest to your outdoor space.
Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.