Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus ‘Cosmopolitan’
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Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus ‘Cosmopolitan’ (mis-KAN-thus sih-NEN-sis var. kon-den-SAY-tus) Family: Poaceae Common name: variegated miscanthus; maiden grass; Japanese silver grass Zone: 5 – 9 Height: 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) Spread: 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) Aspect: full sun; partial shade Soil: fertile; well-draining Water: moderate |
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Description: An evergreen perennial with a vase-like, clump-forming habit. Robust green leaves have creamy white mid-ribs. Long silky, fan-shaped flower tassels appear in the autumn.
RHS Award of Garden Merit 2001; Great Plant Pick 2012
In our Zone 7a garden: This is a grass that John just had to have for his landscape design and I must say it is a stellar performer in our garden for the height it attains. Makes a wonderful screen and a lovely backdrop for some smaller specimens planted at its feet. However, you must be patient. This is definitely a late season grass so here in our garden it never starts poking its leaf blades out of the ground with any vigour until well into June. The first couple of years we had ‘Cosmopolitan’, John was sure he had lost it to winter kill because it was so late to re-appear. Sure enough, it popped up. Exciting news in 2014! We finally got our first inflorescences on our ‘Cosmopolitan’ plants this summer…thanks to the fantastically long stretch of hot, dry weather.
Posted on December 4, 2014
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Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’
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Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ Family: Poaceae (mis-KAN-thus sih-NEN-sis) Common name: maiden grass; eulalia grass Zone: 5 – 9 Height: 5-7 ft (1.5-1.65 m) Spread: 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) Aspect: full sun; partial shade Soil: fertile; well-draining Water: moderate |
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Description: An evergreen perennial with an upright, vase-like, slowly spreading habit. Narrow green leaves have creamy white midribs. Coppery-red tassel-like inflorescences appear in late summer. Colour changes to silver as seeds mature.
Special Notes: Native to Japan. Good winter interest. Can be used as a cut flower or in dried arrangements. Deer resistant. Leave foliage over winter to protect the crown. To tidy up, cut plant back to 8 – 12 inches (20 – 30 cm) in early spring to allow new growth to appear. Propagation by division in spring or autumn.
Great Plant Pick 2010
Posted on December 2, 2014 |
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Milium effusum ‘Aureum’
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Milium effusum ‘Aureum’ Family: Poaceae Common name: golden millet grass; golden wood millet; Bowles’ golden grass |
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Description: A semi-evergreen perennial with a tuft-forming habit. Newly emerging, flat leaves are the brightest yellow of all the grasses in early spring, turning to a soft gold-colour as the season advances. Open tiered panicles of greenish-yellow flower inflorescences appear in late spring and early summer.
Special Notes: Native to Europe, Asia and Japan. Possibly a short-lived perennial, if growing conditions are compromised. Leaves will be more of a lime green colour if grown in deeper shade. Leaves tolerate full sun well without scorching in cooler climates. Good gold colour retention in self-sown seedlings. Propagate by seed; division in spring or autumn.
RHS Award of Garden Merit 1998
Posted January 19, 2013
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Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’
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Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ Family: Poaceae Common name: golden Japanese forest grass |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with slowly spreading, mounding habit. Boasts brightly variegated foliage, gold with green stripes near leaf margins, on deep purple stems. Open panicles of reddish-brown flower spikes may appear in early autumn through winter but not here in our Zone 7a garden.
Special Notes: Native to Japan. Slow growing, often taking 3 years to form a nice clump, but well worth the wait. Gold colour of foliage will fade to lime-green if sited in deeper shade. Good autumn colour; leaves age to reddish-brown. Propagate by division in spring or autumn.
Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit 1993
In our Zone 7a garden: This is a favourite plant although we have yet to see any flower spikes on even our well-established plants. If sited in full sun, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ bleaches out in the heat of the summer. Provided with some shade, the leaf blades retain their golden colour better. Plant in full shade and the leaves will lean more towards a lime-green colour.
Posted on August 13, 2012; updated April 27, 2022 |
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