DIY: How to Grow (and Use) Variegated Cat Grass – An Indoor or Outdoor Plant

I am SO excited!!!

Look at this beautiful variegated cat grass! Oh my!

I love variegated plants and anything with white leaves, and I love the look of cat grass planted in pots and used as a houseplant or patio accent plant. Combine those two loves and I’m over-the-moon excited about this plant!

Not only does this make an unusual and striking houseplant, it also looks gorgeous on a deck or patio as an accent plant. You can also grow this plant directly in the ground, making it a fun border plant or highlight for a garden. Heck! I’d like to replace all the sod in our yard and grow this white and green grass instead!

Read on to see how you can grow this plant, use it in your home or landscaping, and where you can purchase it.

The links in this post may contain affiliate links. I’ll receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. I only write about and share things that I actually use and enjoy. 

How to Grow 

This cat grass is Variegated Hordeum Vulgare, a variety of barley. It’s similar to wheatgrass, and is safe for pets and for humans to eat. It grows best in full to part sun, and can grow to 8- to 24-inches tall if not trimmed. This plant is an annual and will not survive cold winters.

To Grow Indoors:

1. For an accent plant or for a cat treat, fill a 4-inch to 6-inch pot with regular potting soil.
2. Add 100-200 seeds per pot, about 1/4-inch deep and mist with water.
3. Place the pot in a sunny window and keep the soil moist.
4. Seedlings begin in about 7-14 days.
5. Keep the pot in a sunny window, grass will grow to around 6-inches tall.
6. Water the plant when the surface of the soil is dry.
7. Trim the grass to 1-inch every other week to produce more growth.
   TIP: Add more seeds to the pot every couple of weeks and you’ll have thick grass for months!

To Grow Outdoors:

1. To grow this grass directly in the garden in the Spring, prepare the soil by removing any weeds or debris and breaking up the soil.
2. Add seeds in rows 1/4-inch deep and roughly 1-inch apart.
   TIP: Plant seeds in an area of your garden that gets at least 4-hours of sunlight each day. 
3. Firm the soil around the seeds lightly and mist with water.
4. Keep the soil moist, and seedlings will begin in 7-14 days.
5. Water the plant when the surface of the soil is dry.
6. Trim the grass to 1-inch every other week to produce more growth.
   TIP: Add more seeds to the garden every couple of weeks for thicker grass. 

Where to Use

Here are some ideas on where and how you can use this plant in your home and in your landscaping.

• Cat Treat – Have cats that like to eat your houseplants? Give them their own plant to munch on! When you set out a bowl of this variegated cat grass, your cats are less likely to eat your houseplants, and this grass is actually healthy for your cat as well. I recommend planting the grass in a shallow, ceramic pot to help prevent the pot from tipping when cats eat the grass.
  TIP: Make sure to use organic fertilizer or pest control on and near this plant if it will be consumed by pets. 
• Houseplant – This grass makes a unique plant to enjoy in your home. Place the pot among your other plants as an accent. Plant the grass in a long, rectangular-shaped pot and use the grass as a centerpiece on your dining room table. A small pot of grass also looks interesting by itself on a bathroom vanity or on a kitchen windowsill – for example, use a small glass fishbowl pot, add a layer of pebbles and soil and plant the grass in the glass sphere for a terrarium look.
• Patio Container Plant  – This white and green grass looks gorgeous in a pot on a patio table, or in a pot in an outdoor entryway.
• Garden Border – Make a small border around a flower garden, and plant the grass there. The grass forms a ‘fence’ around the garden and adds interest and texture.

Where to Buy

The seeds for this plant are available at Burpee . There are 300 seeds in one packet, and each packet is $4.95 (at the time of this article).

If you decide to grow this plant, share your experience in a comment below!