Gardening Plants & Flowers Perennials

How to Grow and Care for Autumn Moor Grass (Sesleria autumnalis)

A low-growing ornamental grass for tough conditions

How to grow Autumn Moor Grass

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Autumn moor grass is a low-growing, clump-forming perennial grass native to southeastern Europe. It might not be as spectacular an eye-catcher as other ornamental grasses, but with its narrow, yellow-green arching foliage and silvery-white plumes in the fall, it has a quiet beauty and year-round interest.

Autumn moor grass is robust and tough. It can tolerate different soil types and difficult conditions, including drought, salinity, as well as vicinity to black walnut trees

Because it can grow in full sun and partial shade, it is very versatile in its landscape uses, from mass-plantings in a meadow or other naturalistic setting, as a ground cover, border, or edging in a mixed bed or rock garden, or to line a walkway or pathway. Interspersed with other ornamentals, it can also be an accent plant in a small garden bed. Autumn moor grass is also an attractive solution for erosion control.

Common name Autumn moor grass
Botanical Name Sesleria autumnalis
Family Poaceae
Plant Type Perennial 
Mature Size 9-12 in. tall, 6-12 in. wide
Sun Exposure Full, partial
Soil Type  Well-drained
Soil pH  Neutral, alkaline
Bloom Time Fall
Flower Color Inconspicuous
Hardiness Zones 5-8 (USDA)
Native Area Europe
Closeup of sesleria autumnalis

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

How to grow autumn moor grass

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Closeup of autumn moor grass

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Autumn Moor Grass Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing autumn moor grass:

  • Select a location in full sun or partial shade.
  • Plant it in well-draining, neutral to slightly alkaline soil.
  • Water it until established and during droughts.
  • Avoid planting it in hot and humid climates.
  • Apply a fertilizer once annually in the spring, if at all.

Light

In its native habitat in southeastern Europe, autumn moor grass grows in grasslands, meadows, and open woodlands where it receives either full sun or light or partial shade. It will do well in any location with these light conditions.

Soil

Autumn moor grass tolerates a wide range of soil textures and qualities, as long as the soil is well-drained and with a pH that is neutral to slightly alkaline (6.6 – 7.3). It is not affected by juglone from a black walnut tree growing nearby and it can also grow in harsh urban conditions. 

Water

Once established, the grass is drought-tolerant. However, it will grow taller when supplied with consistent moisture. Apply mulch around the base to retain soil moisture and water the grass in periods of drought. 

Temperature and Humidity

Autumn moor grass is a cool-season grass that grows mostly during cool weather. It is winter-hardy to zone 5 and benefits from a layer of mulch around the plants during the winter to insulate the roots against the cold.

Although it is native to southern Europe, it does not do well in extreme summer heat and high humidity. The grass is not recommended for hot desert climates and the hot and humid weather in the southeastern United States.

Fertilizer

Similar to most ornamental grasses, autumn moor grass does not need much fertilizer. If you have planted it in rich, fertile soil, it is sufficient to add a layer of compost every year in the spring. To give the plant a boost in nutrient-poor soil, a one-time application of a complete balanced granular fertilizer in the spring is usually sufficient. 

Types of Moor Grass

Greenlee Moor Grass

Sesleria x ‘Greenlee' is an evergreen low-mounding variety with blue-green foliage and purple-tinged flowers that turn into purplish brown seedheads. This hybrid is a chance seedling that was discovered in a nursery in California nursery subsequently introduced to the nursery trade. Zone 5-9. 

Blue moor grass (Sesleria caerulea)

Gratysanna / Getty Images

Blue Moor Grass

Sesleria caerulea is a more compact species of moor grass with blue-green foliage. It only grows 8 to 10 inches high and wide, which makes it a good lawn alternative for areas with low foot traffic. Zone 5-8.

Italian Moor Grass

Also called Balkans moor grass, Sesleria albicans is very similar to autumn moor grass but larger, reaching 18 to 24 inches in height and width, and flowers towering 8 to 12 inches over the foliage. The flowers start out as silvery white and turn an attractive tan color when dry. Zone 4-9. 

Pruning

Cut the clumps back to the ground in late winter to remove the old foliage and make room for new growth.

Autumn moor grass (Sesleria autumnalis)

Salycina / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Propagating Autumn Moor Grass

The best way to propagate autumn moor grass is to divide it in the early spring, after you have cut the old foliage back to the round and the new growth has started. The grass rarely reseeds, and seeds are not commonly available.

  • Using a shovel or a spade, dig deeply around the entire clump until the entire lateral root system has been loosened.
  • Dig deeply below the root system to lift the entire clump out of the soil.
  • Cut the root ball into sections using a shovel. Make sure that each section has some new growth on it.
  • Replant the sections in new locations at the same depth as the original plant, spacing the plants 8 to 18 inches apart. Water deeply and keep the plants well-watered until they are established.

Potting and Repotting Autumn Moor Grass

Although it’s usually more appealing in the landscape, autumn moor grass can be grown in containers, preferably not as a specimen but combined with other annuals or perennials.

Choose a container that is at least 4 inches wider than the nursery container with large drainage holes. Use well-draining potting mix.

Although autumn moor grass is fairly drought tolerant, growing it in a container requires frequent watering, in hot summer weather on a daily basis. 

Overwintering

Autumn moor grass is hardy to zone 5 and does not need any winter protection, with one exception: potted plants. The roots of container plants lack insulation against the cold. If you are living at the lower end of the zone spectrum where temperatures fall below freezing, either bury the container in garden soil or wrap the container with a double layer of burlap and bubble wrap or build an insulating silo for winterization

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Autumn moor grass is not affected by major pests or diseases. It is deer-resistant and also not browsed by critters.

FAQ
  • Is autumn moor grass invasive?

    Unlike other non-native ornamental grasses, it is not invasive in North America. The grass rarely reseeds itself and it does not spread by rhizomes.

  • Can autumn moor grass grow in a coastal area?

    Yes, this tough plant is not only resistant to salinity, but it can also tolerate drought, so it is a good choice for seaside locations where the soil is parched by wind and sun.

  • How far should autumn moor grass be spaced apart?

    The proper spacing can be anywhere from 8 to 18 inches depending on how you use it in the landscape. When grown as a groundcover or for erosion control where you are aiming for density, plant the grasses closer together. In naturalistic mass planting or in a meadow, plant it farther apart.


The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Sesleria autumnalis. Missouri Botanical Garden.

  2. Seseleria caerulea. North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.