Best Grasses & Bamboo for Zone 11
14 varieties that thrive in USDA Hardiness Zone 11. Compare planting dates, growing difficulty, and find the best picks for your garden.
Varieties
14
for Zone 11
Beginner
1
easy to grow
Heirloom
10
heritage varieties
Container
1
pot-friendly
Zone 11 Coverage
Planting Timeline â All Varieties
Variety Comparison
| Variety â | Days | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Black Tip Wheat | 75-80 | Moderate |
| Feathertop | 100-120 | Moderate |
| Frosted Explosion | 84-112 | Moderate |
| Green Drops | 65-75 | Moderate |
| Highlander | 60-70 | Moderate |
| Lime Light Spray Millet | 70-80 | Moderate |
| Lowlander | 60-70 | Moderate |
| Purple Fountain Grass | â | Easy |
| Purple Majesty | 120 | Moderate |
| Savannah Grass | 100-120 | Moderate |
| Seashore Paspalum | â | Moderate to difficult |
| Silver Tip | 60-75 | Moderate |
| St. Augustine Grass | â | Easy to moderate |
| Zoysia Grass | â | Easy once established |
Variety Details
Black Tip Wheat
Very fancy white glumes (kernels) offset by long black awns. Easy textural element for fresh and dried bouquets. Also known as durum wheat.
Feathertop
Masses of white, woolly, nodding, 6" plumes on graceful plants forming 12" clumps. Showy accent in any landscape. Tender perennial in Zones 9-10, but grow as hardy annual.
Frosted Explosion
The airy flower plumes add sparkle to bouquets and landscapes. A productive filler for bouquets, and a carefree bedding plant. For cut-flower production, keep harvested for second and subsequent flushes of stems.
Green Drops
Stems can be harvested early when bead-like tassels are sparkling bright green. Or for a more autumnal look, harvest a bit later when seed heads have developed hues of purple and gold, and a deeper, graceful arch. Uniform plants can be used fresh or dried. Plumes are approx. 4-7" long, depending on stage of harvest. Similar in appearance to broom corn, but the plants are faster growing, and the plant height and habit are much more manageable.
Highlander
3-6" pendulous heads give tapestry-like effect to arrangements.
Lime Light Spray Millet
The vibrant lime color is enough to make this variety a keeper but it is also fantastically uniform in height, bloom size and bloom time. The stand is lush and self-supporting, remaining upright.
Lowlander
Easy cut-flower grass that is useful both fresh and dried. Soft, 3-6" pendulous heads.
Purple Fountain Grass
A dramatic ornamental grass with burgundy-purple foliage and showy bottlebrush plumes that add tropical flair to any garden. Fast-growing and heat-loving, this grass creates stunning focal points and combines beautifully with colorful annuals.
Purple Majesty
Add architecture and color to floral arrangements or containers. Deep purple foliage, stems, and cattail-like spikes. 1-3 main stems and 12-14" secondary plumes. Suited to 4" pots up to gallon containers. Also known as pearl millet. FleuroSelect Gold Award Winner. AAS Winner.
Savannah Grass
This late-season grass is the perfect color for late summer and fall arrangements, containers, and garden beds. 3-6" long, gracefully arched, rose gold to dusty rose plumes can be used as fresh or dried cut flowers. Panicles lighten in color when dried but maintain a rosy hue. 18-24" stems float above the compact, mounded grass clumps, making them easy to pluck from the plants. The thin stems are best suited for design work and are not recommended for when something sturdy is needed. Very attractive in the garden or in containers with sage-green, compact plants and rosy, sparkling plumes that dance in the light. Tender perennial in Zones 9-10, but typically grown as an annual. Also known as ruby grass, pink bubble grass, mountain red top, bristle-leaved red top.
Seashore Paspalum
An extremely salt-tolerant warm-season grass that excels in coastal environments and areas with brackish water irrigation. Originally found in tropical and subtropical coastal regions, this premium grass creates a dense, fine-textured lawn that rivals Bermuda grass in quality. Its unique ability to thrive with saltwater irrigation makes it invaluable for waterfront properties and drought-prone areas with recycled water systems.
Silver Tip
Green-to-white glumes and awns. 4" heads (not counting the awns). Easy textural element for fresh and dried bouquets. Vigorous wheat/rye cross.
St. Augustine Grass
A thick, luxurious warm-season grass that creates a dense, carpet-like lawn perfect for Southern climates. Known for its excellent shade tolerance and aggressive spreading habit, it quickly fills in bare spots to create a lush green lawn. Its broad, flat blades give it a distinctive coarse texture that many homeowners love for its tropical appearance.
Zoysia Grass
An elegant warm-season grass that creates one of the most beautiful and low-maintenance lawns possible, with a dense, carpet-like texture that crowds out weeds naturally. Once established, this slow-growing grass requires minimal watering and fertilizing while providing excellent heat and drought tolerance. Its fine texture and rich green color make it a premium choice for homeowners wanting a gorgeous lawn with less work.