Autumn Moor Grass
Sesleria autumnalis · Cool-season Performance, Perennial, C3 Carbon Fixation
Grass Family
Poaceae, Pooideae
Grass Category
Ornamental Grass, Groundcover
Variety / Cultivar
Standard species (undifferentiated cultivar)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 5 through 9; excellent cold hardiness and heat tolerance compared to many other cool-season grasses.
About This Grass
A refined perennial grass forming dense, tidy tussocks about 12-18 inches high. Features a distinct chartreuse to lime-green foliage color that remains vibrant through autumn. Seed heads are narrow, silvery-white spikes emerging in late summer on thin stems.
Blade Characteristics
Fine to medium width (approx. 4mm), linear, flat to slightly channeled. Tips are pointed. Color is a yellowish-green or light lime-green. Vernation is folded. Features a short membranous ligule and no auricles.
Root System
Fibrous, deep-reaching root system for its size; slow to moderate establishment speed; does not produce significant thatch or invasive runners.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to Eastern Europe and the Caucasus (Slovenia, Italy, Albania); well-adapted to temperate North America.
Growth Habit
Clump-forming (Bunch-type), non-invasive, dense mounding habit.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun to partial shade; highly adaptable to various lighting. Low to moderate water needs once established; excellent drought tolerance. Prefers well-drained alkaline to neutral soils.
Mowing & Maintenance
Not traditionally mowed as turf; cut back to 2-3 inches in early spring before new growth appears. Low maintenance level; requires minimal fertilization.
Special Characteristics
Excellent shade tolerance for an ornamental grass; highly pest and disease resistant; juglone tolerant (can grow under Black Walnut); salt tolerant and deer resistant.
Ecological Information
Introduced ornamental; provides cover for small insects and beneficial soil microbes; excellent for mass planting to prevent erosion on slopes; non-invasive and non-seeding in most North American climates.