What are some ornamental grass-like house plants?

There are a number of grass-like plants that will grow well in the low-light environment of the home. Plants that have a grass-type habit of growth create a handsome vertical element to the interior design of a room. Look for plants that are low-light tolerant and can thrive in the confined space of a container. And--just a tip--if you have a cat, beware that house plants that grow in a grassy habit will be highly inviting to nibbling.

Some houseplants look like clumps of ornamental grass when they are very young. As they grow, the bottom leaves will die off creating a long woody stem or trunk. These plants will eventually mature into sparse, tree-like plants that are very attractive for home interior design. Plants in this group would be Dracaenas, Cordylines, Beaucarneas, Yuccas and other plants considered to be grass-like plants that will grow into tall trees. They offer a sculptural element to the decor of your rooms. Most prefer as much light as they can get and look handsome in a corner, by a large piece of furniture or against a plain wall.

Very low growing grass-like plants can create a kind of ground cover that can surround other house plants in their pots. Try planting Orange New Zealand sedge (Carix testacea) or lucky bamboo for ornamental low growers. There are also some low-growing bromeliads that can look grass-like. Some will grow in the ground while others do better as hanging plants, set on branches of larger plants or attached to plaques and hung. Most offer colorful flowering stalks in addition to decorative foliage.

You can actually grow real grasses in pots to keep your cat happy. Regular grass can be grown in a bright window but since grass blades are finely serrated, cats are likely to regurgitate the grass back up on your home floors. Try growing wheat grass from seed in a sunny window for a soft, more digestible cat grass as a house plant for a cat-friendly garden indoors. Wheat grass can also be eaten by people and you can buy seed cheaply: it germinates very fast. In good light you can even get a pot of ryegrass to grow to use around the base of larger, more decorative house plants.

Try growing the Spider Plant (Chlorophytum) for grass-like house plants that will grow in green or white- striped leaves and drop long stems with decorative spider-like plantlets. This habit of growth makes the Spider Plant a perfect decorative plant for a hanging basket.

Use ornamental grass-like house plants to soften the look of larger plants, cover the surface of soil in pots, or to add a vertical element to your indoor container design. The upright growth will make a nice contrast to the rounded foliage of most other house plants.

 

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