Grasses & Groundcover
327 US plant patents cover grasses & groundcover, across 15 genera. 116 of them (35%) have already expired — those plants are in the public domain and anyone may propagate and sell them.
Genera in this group
| Genus | Patents | Free to propagate | Next to expire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoysia | 50 | 22 | April 13, 2028 |
| Miscanthus | 31 | 5 | March 27, 2028 |
| Cynodon | 30 | 14 | April 11, 2027 |
| Panicum | 28 | 2 | July 30, 2027 |
| Poa | 24 | 20 | March 23, 2029 |
| Pennisetum | 23 | 4 | February 20, 2027 |
| Lomandra | 22 | 3 | September 22, 2026 |
| Carex | 21 | 2 | February 6, 2028 |
| Dianella | 19 | 9 | January 24, 2027 |
| Stenotaphrum | 18 | 10 | November 7, 2027 |
| Liriope | 16 | 5 | March 20, 2028 |
| Schizachyrium | 13 | 1 | January 13, 2029 |
| Bouteloua | 12 | 9 | May 12, 2030 |
| Cortaderia | 11 | 3 | November 14, 2026 |
| Paspalum | 9 | 7 | October 19, 2026 |
Coming off patent next
- LomandraSeptember 22, 2026
- PaspalumOctober 19, 2026
- CortaderiaNovember 14, 2026
- DianellaJanuary 24, 2027
- PennisetumFebruary 20, 2027
- CynodonApril 11, 2027
- PanicumJuly 30, 2027
- StenotaphrumNovember 7, 2027
- CarexFebruary 6, 2028
- LiriopeMarch 20, 2028
This grouping is ours, not the USPTO’s. A plant patent records a botanical genus; it never says “grass or groundcover”. We group genus by genus, which means the grouping is only as good as that judgement — and a genus that spans two kinds appears under both. For the precise answer, use genus.
A patent expiring frees the plant, not the name. The cultivar name is always safe to use; a trade name may still be a live trademark. See what you may call it.