Grasses

Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' | Feather Reed Grass

Height: 5 feet

Spread: 32 inches

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade

Hardiness Zone: 3a

Other Names: Feather Reed Grass

Description:
Dramatic red-copper plumes are eye catching during the early to mid summer months; a cool weather performer that looks wonderful in fresh or dried flower arrangements, borders or garden landscapes; heat tolerant and low maintenance

Ornamental Features:
Karl Foerster Reed Grass is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. The tan seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from late summer to late winter. It features bold plumes of brick red flowers with coppery-bronze overtones rising above the foliage in mid summer. Its grassy leaves are green in color. The foliage often turns tan in fall. The gold stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes:
Karl Foerster Reed Grass is an herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cut back to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Karl Foerster Reed Grass is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Vertical Accent
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
- Container Planting

Planting & Growing:
Karl Foerster Reed Grass will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 32 inches. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Karl Foerster Reed Grass is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'

Upright. Pink-purple feathery summer blooms. Prefers moist soils. Tolerates clay and sandy soils. USDA 5-9

Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' Feather Reed Grass

Height: 5 feet

Spread: 32 inches

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade

Hardiness Zone: 3a

Other Names: Feather Reed Grass

Description:
Dramatic red-copper plumes are eye catching during the early to mid summer months; a cool weather performer that looks wonderful in fresh or dried flower arrangements, borders or garden landscapes; heat tolerant and low maintenance

Ornamental Features:
Karl Foerster Reed Grass is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. The tan seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from late summer to late winter. It features bold plumes of brick red flowers with coppery-bronze overtones rising above the foliage in mid summer. Its grassy leaves are green in color. The foliage often turns tan in fall. The gold stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes:
Karl Foerster Reed Grass is an herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cut back to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Karl Foerster Reed Grass is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Vertical Accent
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
- Container Planting
- Planting & Growing

Karl Foerster Reed Grass will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 32 inches. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Karl Foerster Reed Grass is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'

Height: 12 inches

Spread: 12 inches

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade

Hardiness Zone: 4b

Other Names: Sweet Flag Grass

Description:
Though it is commonly known as sweet flag, this is actually a grass, not an iris; iris-like foliage is fragrant and great for moist or boggy areas; it is gold and green-striped but appears mostly gold; doesn't like to dry out or the tips will burn

Ornamental Features:
Grassy-Leaved Sweet Flag is primarily valued in the garden for its ornamental upright and spreading habit of growth. Its attractive fragrant grassy leaves remain gold in color with prominent green stripes throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes:
Grassy-Leaved Sweet Flag is a dense herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Grassy-Leaved Sweet Flag is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
- Container Planting
- Bog Gardens
- Planting & Growing

Grassy-Leaved Sweet Flag will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Grassy-Leaved Sweet Flag is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a canvas of foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Acorus gramineus 'Variegatus'

Variegated Grassy-Leaved Sweet Flag | White & Green Grass-Like Blades Arch Upward. Prefers Wet Soils. USDA 4-9