This graceful ornamental grass performs well with little fuss. It makes a stunning show, dancing in the slightest breeze, and is especially attractive when its flowers are backlit by sunshine. Use it as a specimen plant, as a vertical accent in a mixed border, or as a fast-growing screen. It also makes a fine container plant. Give it other late-fall-blooming perennials as companions.
Even in snow, the grass remains ornamental and recovers quickly from heavy rain or wind. Its sterile flowers eliminate any chance of it becoming invasive.
Tall stems lend themselves to floral arrangements and, if cut before the flowers mature, will last for months. This cultivar was named the Perennial Plant of the Year back in 2001, joining a select group of easy-growers.
BOTANICAL NAME:
Calamagrostis
x
acutiflora
'Karl Foerster'
FAMILY:
Poaceae
COMMON NAME:
'Karl Foerster' feather reed grass
TYPE:
Clump-forming perennial grass
SIZE:
18 inches wide, 2 to 3 feet tall
FLOWERS:
Stiff, erect, unbranched stems (as tall as 5 feet) bear soft, feathery, light-pink inflorescences in June that mature to a golden tan through fall.
HABIT:
Slow-spreading, with arching, linear, deep-green, flat leaves
RANGE:
Zones 4 to 9
CULTURE:
Tolerates full sun or partial shade. Likes well-drained and moist, fertile soil, but it will tolerate heavy clay and drier sites. Plant in spring or fall, 18 inches apart. Water well until plants are established. Low fertility yields shorter plants. Besides compost or fertilizer, it needs to be cut to about 6 inches in late winter or early spring.
PESTS:
It has no serious pest problems.
-- Homes & Gardens staff
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