I'm pretty sure you could grow the wheat grass indoors, you may have to add an additional light source, others will know more about the lighting. What zone are you in? That can help with lighting info also.
Christine

Using the searchwords tropical grass indoors should get you started in the right direction. Most grasses require very good drainage, so make sure your soil is appropriate before you embark on the adventure, especially so if you intend to grow in a shallow container. Squat pots demand soils with better drainage than their taller counterparts.

Al

Christine, I'm in zone 10a.

Al, I'm actually planning on growing the grass semi-hydroponically since all my house plants love it. I never got the hang of growing in any other medium. I really like the contrast between hydroton and green foliage so I was planning on growing in a clear tray, maybe 6 inches deep max. I love being able to observe roots grow too.

I guess what I'm really after is something green, short, and dense to give a carpet like effect. I really I think that baby tears would look nice, as would green moss, but I'm not familiar with how they perform as house plants.

Embrace the pioneer spirit and let us know how things go. dwarf mondo grass might be a candidate. If you try Sagina procumbens (aka pearlwort or Irish moss) be ready to have it everywhere. If you're going to grow semi-hydro, don't leave out sedges as possibilities.

Best luck!

Al

I look forward to seeing how you do also. Your have all the ideas and lots of help from Al. Good Luck
Christine

You might enjoy Dianthus, Delosperma, some of the tiny Veronicas, if you aren't tied to the 'blade-shape' leaf. Creeping thyme? Mint? You can 'mow' it with scissors often to keep a flat-top, and of course that would scent the room.

Don't know how things are in CA, never been there, but there are tons of tiny grass-like plants 'hiding' in mowed areas in the east half of the country, that make the cutest miniscule flowers. There might be something right outside that's a 'weed' in the lawn but would be so cute in a pot.

A tiny potted lawn would look cute with some kind of tiny scene, even just one chair... or tiny bird bath...

Thanks for the support everyone. I will probably get some wheatgrass for a quick fix, but I want to try baby tears and fiber optic grass eventually. I saw some baby tears at Lowe's, but I didn't want to buy a whole flat. I'll look for some in my next bike ride.

Ooh, if you're not tied to the blade-shape leaf, there are several tiny Pileas. When I searched "baby tears plant" that was one of the results. Is that what y'all mean by baby tears? I brought home a tiny artillery fern (Pilea microphylla) hitch-hiking in the pot of a little ponytail palm. I love tiny plants.

With solid morning sun, you might get away with some of the Portulacas, like moss roses or P. pilosa if you can find some, and flowers wouldn't be too garish for your zen little 'garden.' Sedums galore.

Did you have a pot in mind yet?

Sorry for not being specific. I mean Soleirolia soleirolii (Helxine soleirolii) when I mention baby tears. It is often used as a ground cover in shady moist areas. Pilea Depressa sometimes go by that name as well, and it is another plant I'm considering. I will look into the others you mentioned as well.

As for the container, I haven't really looked around, but I want something clear and rectangular, at least 18 inched wide and 4 inches deep.

Nothing to apologize for! I just felt left out because I wasn't sure, but that's a side-bar to the point of this discussion. I googled Helxine soleirolii and it's cute! Kind of like a cross between Cymbalaria and one of the tiny Pileas.

What about this little cutie? Peperomia prostrata (AKA P. rotundifolia.)

I really like those details on those leaves, but I think I would like it better cascading out of a pot verses growing in a tray. I am making plans for hanging baskets and other planters for trailing plants so I'll keep it in mind. Some new plants that I'm considering are the bead plant (nertera granadensis), Selaginella kraussiana aurea, and Selaginella kraussiana brownii,

I'm afraid that I may run out if hydroton before I make up my mind on a plant because of my recent impulse purchases (a peace lily and an areca palm). Plan B is to get an aquarium and fill it with duckweed, frogbit, and other easy floating plants.

We've used something called either Liriope or Ophiopogon (name seems to randomly change back and forth but the former is more common).

Isn't grass but has that look to it, and is a tough plant.

Called monkey grass here, Liriope is definitely tough. Great idea.

Seaj, it would look cool cascading out of a pot. GMTA!