What I'd do if I were you is look into sedges, rather than grasses. In southern Indiana, sedges almost entirely replace grasses in shade, except in particularly low, moist areas. Anyways... I don't know offhand if it's readily available commercially, but painted sedge (Carex picta) is the one I'd really look for if I were you. I've linked a picture of a slope with Carex picta from near Bloomington. All the grassy looking stuff is Carex picta. It usually forms nice bands of dense growth on the south sides of ridges, in the area of transition from the top of the ridge to the slope itself. Forms clumps about a foot high. I've never tried growing it, but have figured for a while now that it'd be an excellent thing for shade gardening.

Patrick Alexander

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1354728}}

In addition to C. picta, you could try C. pensylvanica (very fine-textured, running), C. rigida (fine-textured, clumping), C. flaccosperma (medium texture, glaucous blue green leaves, clumping), and C. platyphylla (low flattish rosettes of broad powder blue green leaves, clumping).

There are shortish woodland grasses that are pretty handsome, but may be difficult to find. Look for Melica mutica, which likes hillsides in medium shade here in TN. Habit is soft and arching, color is deep green. Spreads gently by short runners. Another terrific grass is Deschampsia flexuosa, which likes dryish open shade. Clumping habit, very fine texture, airy open bloom/seed panicles.

Soeur

I have never seen bottlebrush grass taller than three feet in Ohio. Blue eyed grass is nice.

One I tried from seed and have fallen in love with is Beak Grass--Diarrhena americana. Definitely stays 2-3 feet (mine is 2). It has fairly broad leaves that are a beautiful shiny green and turn creamy colored in winter. I can't figure out why I never see this grass mentioned anywhwere, it is gorgeous, and has even been withstanding our Illinois drought! My Bottlebrush Grass also doesn't get more than 3 feet, at least so far.

Northern Sea Oats is easy. It seeds off and forms a nice herbacious layer under even pretty dense shade. Couple that with some summer-blooming natives and it looks great.

Bottlebrush grass will be 2-3 feet tall in the area you describe. I've got in in a place where it's in shade by 11:00 a.m., and it barely reaches 3 feet.

Hakonechloa macra aureola is bout 1 foot tall in my garden and the weeping chartreuse striped leaves are gorgeous.

Here in eastern MA, the bottlebrush grass (including seed heads) in my yard is about 5 feet high. Am I doing something wrong or right?

-- wd

My bottlebrush grass here in Chicago grows to 4'. My brother in Minneapolis has had the same experience.

More grasses and sedges for shade (not sure regarding hardiness):

Carex grayi (very cool mace-like seed heads)
Carex plantaginea
Carex siderostricha variegata
Luzula sp
Hystrix patula
Uncinia sp

My absolute favorite sedge is Bowles Golden Sedge".

It stands out as bright lime green. It likes shade.

I'm going to have a steep slope in mid Alabama that will be difficult to mow. I need something native to keep the hill from washing. Would a sedge or one of these grasses be a good fit? Where do I find seed, or plants? I want something that won't grow too high, 12-24 inches max.