A Guide to Growing Reed Grasses: Best-Performing Varieties and Care

Unlike with miscanthus, you won’t regret planting these adaptable, low-maintenance beauties

As native grasses such aslittle bluestem(Schizachyrium scopariumand cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) andprairie dropseed(Sporobolus heterolepisand cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) increasingly gain grip in gardens , exotics such as miscanthus ( Miscanthussinensisand cvs . , Zones 4–9 ) are losing party favour because of their invasive inclination . But not all exotic dope are troublesome and need to be avoided . Feather reed grass ( Calamagrostis×acutifloraand cvs . , Zones 5–9 ) is a lifelike hybrid ofC. arundinaceaandC. epigejos , which are both nonnatives and fecund ego - sower , but the crossbreed rarely sets rich cum — a major plus for an alien locoweed , veracious ? So why are other reed grasses—‘Karl Foerster ’ aside — so underused ? To resolve that query is to realize the phenomenon of ‘ Karl Foerster ’ feather reed grass ( C.×acutiflora‘Karl Foerster’).See more plant trial results here .

At a Glance:Calamagrostisspp. and cvs.

aboriginal range : Asia , Europe , Russia

Conditions : Full sun to light nuance ; moist , well - drained soil

Pests and disease : Foliar rust can be an casual trouble , but beating-reed instrument grasses are otherwise trouble - free .

Watch out : Korean feather reed dope can ego - sow ; report vary from minimally to sharply so . As with any exotic coinage , keep a lookout for seedlings , specially in moist , shady locations and along waterways .

The backstory of the most popular reed grass

Renowned German gardener Karl Foerster discovered this survival in a botanic garden in the thirties — originally calling it ‘ Stricta’—and introduce it in Germany in 1950 . The cultivar , afterward renamed to honor him , get to the U.S. market in the 1960s , although I ’m not sure which happened first . The popularity of ‘ Karl Foerster ’ was helped along by being one of the signature tune plants of the New American Garden — an overweening meadowlike elan produce by Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden in the seventies that mixes belt of grasses and perennial to emulate native American landscape . nurseryman and landscapers likewise recognized its garden note value and planted it with zeal .

I can not think back if I vote for‘Karl Foerster ’ feather reed grassfor Perennial Plant of the Year in 2001 , but I think that everyone who did get it good . The minute , perpendicular substance abuse remains orderly all time of year , although by midsummer the svelte lustrous green leafage arch fountainlike under the vertical flowered stalks . Golden seed heads are its most recognizable trait — the flower stalks make up about two - thirds of the nearly 6 - foot height — but the flowers start out silverish purple and feathery before constringe into the svelte plumes . The progression of colors on ‘ Karl Foerster ’ flowerheads may be elusive , but if you attend for it you ’ll see the transition from regal - pinko to rich maroon to bronze to golden tan and finally to strew as dusk comes on . Seed head shatter too soon , but the shank hang in sentinel - ilk through wintertime . Whether you pronounce it “ furster , ” “ forster , ” or “ Cecil Scott Forester ” ( the latter two are irrationally like foghorn blasts in my ears ) , ‘ Karl Foerster ’ is a reliable , first - pace ornamental pasturage merit of its renown . Keep your eyes out for a midget translation that ’s coming to the market before long .

‘ Karl Foerster ’ is the better know and most grown of the vibrating reed grasses , to the near exclusion of all the others . While ubiquity is not ordinarily a positive aspect , it is understandable how it happened in this case . ‘ Karl Foerster ’ possess the right attributes that make it a choice landscape painting plant — unassailable substance abuse , long - lasting floral / yield display , and winter interest . For me , its overexposure in landscapes is more distressful in the mundane way it is often used . Honestly , a stark railway line of this columnar weed , never match like the picket in a fencing , feel soulless after the thousandth encounter . I recollect ‘ Karl Foerster ’ ( or any of the related to cultivar ) is better group in small to big masses or pair with blowsier perennials or bushy shrub to make up their stiffness . And spirited by the wind , even rigid pot come alert as they swosh and sway in the zephyr .

By 2018 I had seen ‘ Karl Foerster ’ innumerable times in countless landscapes but feel fairly clueless about the other reed grasses . I thought that a closer look at the cultivar might tempt gardener to see beyond ‘ Karl Foerster ’ .

Trial Parameters

Since 2018 , the Chicago Botanic Garden has judge 11 reed grasses in relative trial . Two of the choice are too raw to point out on yet . Besides honour ornamental traits , we monitored the plant to see how well they grew and adapted to environmental and soil weather while observe a close eye on any disease or pest trouble and assessing plant injuries or losses over wintertime .

Other reed grasses worthy of a second look

‘Eldorado’ feather reed grass

‘ Eldorado ’ feather reed grass ( C.×acutiflora‘Eldorado ’ ) has the same vertical habit as ‘ Karl Foerster ’ , but its green leaves have pronounced golden stripes down the midriff of each sword . There are times in the former spring when some stripes appear white , but this is a unawares - last trait . In a gracious nod to colour echoes , the amber - and - green leave-taking complement the honey - yellowed bloom culm as they turn out out of the shaggy-coated mounds in late give . The pallid purple flowers , which hold some color as they constrict , attractively accentuate the xanthous stanch for a short clock time . blossom age to a idle wheat color by fall . While ‘ Karl Foerster ’ is certainly the most robust of the cultivars , ‘ Eldorado ’ comes stuffy . On its own , the potent profile of ‘ El Dorado ’ makes it a perfect accent or exclamation point in the garden , but mass it ( or any of the variegated survival ) amplifies the colourful foliage .

‘Avalanche’ feather reed grass

Matching music to a plant name keeps things interesting for me , so I hummed Shawn Colvin ’s “ Shotgun Down the Avalanche ” whenever I evaluated ‘ Avalanche ’ feather reed grass ( C. × acutiflora‘Avalanche ’ ) . A reverse variegation of ‘ Overdam ’ ( C.×acutiflora‘Overdam ’ ) , ‘ Avalanche ’ sport white stripes down the middle of its dark gullible blade , add a little sparkle that ‘ Karl Foerster ’ does n’t have . In spring , riotous verdant tufts of arching , vibrantly striped leaves are the show before bloom stem steal the focus away . I sleep with the silvery confection of the fresh florescence in bud copulate with the white - lined foliage , but the light purple blossom that play along are a nice counterpoint to the crisp variegation . After the flowerheads constrict , there ’s a minute of golden gloriousness before they settle down to light oatmeal with coppery overtones for the rest of the summer . ‘ Avalanche ’ is shorter than ‘ Karl Foerster’—in fact , it ’s the shortest of the cultivars by a few inches — and has a narrow profile too .

‘Hello Spring’ feather reed grass

My first imprint of ‘ Hello Spring ’ feather reed grass ( C.×acutiflora‘Hello Spring ’ ) was “ Hello , ‘ Overdam ’ ! ” The law of similarity is clear , but ‘ Hello Spring ’ bulked up quicker and proved to be the more vigorous plant life . The leaves — which sport encompassing , creamy ashen margins bordering morose unripened , longitudinal center line — are most vibrantly colorful in the early time of year . The color is less blatant as summer procession ( ditto mark for the other variegated cultivar ) , but in all candor , who ’s looking down at the farewell once the floral show is in full swing ? The pinkish - over - cream plumes open consistently on the first solar day of summer and put on a dainty show for a match of weeks before constricting their profile . Bronze - tan come heads and culm eventually fade to straw lily-livered in autumn before shattering in late fall .

Korean reed grass ( C. brachytricha , Zones 4–9 ) was included in our trial and is an prosperous plant to like when it blooms . Due to its potential invasiveness , however , the Chicago Botanic Garden has put it on the remotion list . It ’s inauspicious when you must banish a plant , but with so many other great reed grasses to choose from , the confidence trick from the loss of Korean reed grass wo n’t last long .

Knockout newbies to keep on your radar

‘Cheju-do’ reed grass

I knew nothing about ‘ Cheju - do ’ reed grass ( C.‘Cheju - do ’ , zona 5–8 ) when I buy it except that some description compare it to a dwarf ‘ Karl Foerster ’ . I still do n’t know its line of descent , but now that I ’ve grown it , that depiction seems a stretch to me . It ’s like order a dachsie is a little version of a greyhound . The short , mounded habit of ‘ Cheju - do ’ is a pleasing departure from the upright forms . mild silver hair on the idle green blades sparkle on sunny days and on dewy mornings . Short pinkish - and - immature feather are 6 column inch long and 1 in broad ( they constrict to ¼ in astray ) and are not as fluffy as those of Korean feather reed grass . They open in midsummer and ripen golden tan on russet - toned culms in fall . The leaves take on bronze hues in crepuscule too . I do wonder if ‘ Cheju - do ’ would have incur as much visitant care if it had n’t been sitting among the marvellous reed pasture , where the obvious differences between them sparked peculiarity .

‘Lightning Strike’ feather reed grass

It is credibly not a surprise that ‘ Lightning Strike ’ feather reed grass ( C.×acutiflora‘Lightning hit ’ ) summercater wide , creamy whitened stripes running down the centers of dour green foliage . What is unexpected is the Paris green to lightheaded - gold striping on the fresh spring leafage . ( These colors fade away with warmer daytime . ) Yellow culms hold high the feathery purple efflorescence in other summer . A second afterward the constricted semen heads turn a classifiable bronze - orange on golden culm before everything fades to tan . ‘ Lightning Strike ’ is corresponding to ‘ Avalanche ’ in folio color but is the larger of the two , and its seed heads are a richer coloring material . Habit timbre was compromise by a burly neighboring grass that did its best to overshadow ‘ Lightning Strike ’ late in the trial . On a positive note , the herd prove that feather reed grass prefer full sun to be its unspoiled .

How to grow reed grasses

Many ornamental grass species not only tot up beautiful shape and textures to the garden but also serve up as ecological human dynamo . Reed grasses require moderate moisture once established . They amend water percolation into the soil by slow down down and absorbing overflow . They also set down fibrous solution that prevent erosion by hold the soil in situation . These remarkable perennials give a lot and ask for very little in return .

Location

Reed locoweed raise effective in moist , well - drain ground but are adaptable to heavy clay grease . Full sun to wanton shade is prefer , although fewer bloom and runty or floppy habits may occur in too much shade . Korean feather reed grass is native to deciduous woods and so can be grown well in light to medium shade . Afternoon shade is recommend in hot southern climates for all varieties .

Planting

The good time to engraft is in fall , but other spring usually works as well . Plants can sometimes be base - spring in nursery pots , so be sure to loosen the roots when putting your flora into the planting hole .

Pruning

nerveless - time of year grasses , such asCalamagrostisspecies and cultivars , fight new growth in former spring , so former clumps should be cut down once a yr by late winter . Although ‘ Cheju - do ’ and Korean feather reed sens green up a bit later than other reed forage , sheer them down at the same fourth dimension as the others .

Dividing

water parting thumping in fall or springtime as needed to regenerate clumps and to propagate .

Using grasses in the border and beyond

Most John Reed grasses have the theme song upright form and tight wont characteristic of ‘ Karl Foerster ’ . This habit contribute itself to several design approach path in garden big and diminished .

Massing and screening

When imbed tightly , feather reed locoweed make an excellent screen for check seasonal privateness , creating a horse sense of mystery , or obscuring an unsightly view . When massed , this sess is also stunning as a backdrop for other flora .

Punctuating

Need a small height or oomph ? The magniloquent and upright structure of feather reed gage is just the ticket . It make a dandy focal head or staunch yet aired fellow in containers and border vignette with other perennial .

Weaving

reprize sweeps of reed green goddess across a landscape painting create wonderful textural drama . Weaving this unifying plant life throughout the garden also help to tie legion planting areas together .

Richard Hawke is an expert horticulturist and the managing director of ornamental plant research at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe , Illinois .

Photos , except where noted : Danielle Sherry

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‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass.Photo: Jennifer Benner

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illustration of reed grass, seed head, and culm cross section

‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass.Photo: Jennifer Benner

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Karl Foerster feather reed grass

‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass.Photo: Jennifer Benner

Eldorado feather reed grass

‘Eldorado’ feather reed grass

Avalanche feather reed grass

‘Avalanche’ feather reed grass.Photo: millettephotomedia.com

Hello Spring feather reed grass

‘Hello Spring’ feather reed grass

Cheju-do reed grass

‘Cheju-do’ reed grass

Lightning Strike feather reed grass

‘Lightning Strike’ feather reed grass

reed grass trial result chart

illustration of pruning and dividing reed grass

Cut back and divide.For best results, prune reed grasses close to the ground—to 6 inches or less—using pruners or hedge trimmers. Older clumps can also experience crown die-out over time. Dividing a clump will revitalize growth.

using reed grass for screening