| September/October 2019 | MichiganGardener.com
Korean feather reed grass M
any gardeners are familiar with the feather reed grass ‘Karl Foerster’ (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’), the grass that earned the Perennial Plant of the Year award in 2001. It has become one of the best-selling ornamental grasses of all time, and is often used in commercial plantings as well as home landscapes. However, most American gardeners are unaware of Korean feather reed grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha), although it is also an award winner, receiving the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 2006. Fortunately, this easy-to-grow grass is gaining recognition and popularity as it becomes more widely available.
Shade tolerance Native to Europe and Eurasia, Calamagrostis brachytricha (sometimes listed as C. arundinacea var. brachytricha) has many virtues to recommend it to gardeners in all temperate regions, worldwide. Topmost, it is one of the few ornamental grasses that is equally at home in sun or shade. In its native habitat, Korean feather reed grass grows in moist, deciduous woodlands in dappled shade. The ability to grow and perform well in every light level is an advantage to gardeners who have had difficulty with grasses in shady sites. For example, popular varieties of maiden grass (Miscanthus) or switchgrass (Panicum) will decline after a few years in too much shade. If they do survive, they rarely flower well, and may become floppy and disheveled.
Karen Bovio
continued on page 28
www.PerennialResource.com
Its moderate size makes Korean feather reed grass perfect for smaller gardens.
Hoffman Nursery, Inc.
Korean feather reed grass is one of the few ornamental grasses that performs well in the shade.