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Feather Reed Grass
(Calamagrostis Acutiflora 'Stricta')
Grasses have gained considerable attention in recent years in the garden, but
most ornamental grasses are big plants used like shrubs in the landscape.
Feather Reed Grass, on the other hand, is a smaller grass that fits more
comfortably into the mixed perennial border where its upright form adds vertical
accent to the display. Being a cool season grass, it is one of the earliest
grasses to flower, with spikes appearing in June and persisting through the end
of summer. The flower spikes have the golden-brown hue of the wheat field and
are excellent for cutting and use in dried flower arrangements. Feather Reed
Grass should be grown in full sun or placed where it gets late afternoon shade.
It is excellent in the mixed perennial border, but make sure it is not overgrown
by neighboring plants. Or, it can be used in mass plantings as an interesting
vertical foil for low-growing shrubs such as groundcover junipers.
- Height: 4 or 5 feet when in bloom in the summer.
- Spread: 12 to 18 inches.
- Exposure: Full sun.
- Hardiness: A perennial grass hardy statewide, otherwise zones 4
to 8.
- Planting Season: Fall or spring.
- Culture: Tolerant of wide array of soil types and conditions but
does require full sun. Once established, long lived. Because it is a cool
season grass, division is best done in the fall.
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