Ornamental Grass

Best Grass in Town

A look at 3 Versatile Ornamental Grasses

Karl Forester Feather Reed Grass

Karl Forester Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora) is one of my favorite landscape plants. It is known for its sturdy upright growth habit and stunning feathery plumes that emerge in mid summer and turn golden brown by early fall. Standing nearly 5’ tall, it thrives in full sun, but is adaptable enough to take a bit of shade. A zone 5-9 plant it is an easy species to grow and maintain. It tolerates a variety of soil conditions and persists in the heat of summer with little irrigation.

Karl Forester Feather Reed Grass provides as a fantastic background for a perennial planting. It can also serve well as a mid height visual barrier without being overly intrusive. An interesting feature is how it adds motion to the garden as the long stems and wheat like tassels sway in the warm summer breeze. Feather Reed Grass has three-season interest. It emerges kelly green in spring, looks stunning when it goes to seed in the fall, and is durable enough to have a pleasant appearance in the winter months. In February it should be cut back to 4-6” from the ground. This will jump start the growth for the upcoming season. After a few growing cycles it is possible to divide Karl Forester Feather Reed Grass into several new plants.

Mingling Karl Forester Feather Reed Grass with perennials such as Russian Sage, Black Eyed Susan, or Purple Cone Flower always brings the garden to life. Situating a blueberry bush such as ‘Bluecrop’ in between an arrangement of three Karl Forester Feather Reed Grasses can be quite spectacular. It is a versatile plant that anyone can care for.

Blue Arrow Rush

I recently discovered Blue Arrow Rush (Juncus Inflexus) and I am happy to have become acquainted with this adaptive plant. Blue Arrow Rush will tolerate wet or moist soil conditions, but equally tolerant of drought conditions. These characteristics make it an ideal plant for a rain garden or bio-retention swales. In addition to enduring a variety of moisture conditions it is hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit and does well in the heat of summer. Bright green stems that grow to 36” in height and it grows in clumps of 12” in width, it truly makes a dazzling impression on the landscape.

Red Fox Sedge

A plant that combines well with Blue Arrow Rush is Red Fox Sedge (Carex buchananii). Beautiful bronze to brown hues adds interesting color to the landscape. The rigid, but cascading blades provide intriguing texture and may tempt you to wonder if the plant is still alive. It will persist in part to full sun. Like Blue Arrow Rush it is equally tolerant of wet or moist soil conditions, but will also perform in drought conditions. It too is an ideal plant for a rain garden as it is naturally adaptive to bog like conditions. This plant is said to be native to all of the United States, with the exception of Nevada and Utah. It can be a unique addition to your garden.

Karl Forester Feather Reed Grass in background coupled with Blue Oat Grass, Sedum and Japanese Yew.

Blue Arrow Rush

Red Fox Sedge