Grasses at Digging Dog
Acorus to Deschampsia
Including Calamagrostis & Carex
One of the most exciting trends in contemporary American landscaping is the recent availability of a wide variety of ornamental grasses. Grasses offer more than longevity and low maintenance; they bring movement, fall and winter pizzazz, lush volume, texture and line, even sound, to any situation. The design possibilities are mind-boggling!
Plant grasses for a stunning effect in groups by themselves, with wildžowers for a stylized meadow, as a transition area between surrounding Želds or woods and the garden proper, or be even bolder and bring some into the perennial bed for vertical excitement. Think of them as shrub substitutes for hedges and semitransparent screens, as specimens to contrast with rocks and boulders, and by all means, place a few at water’s edge. Show grasses to best effect by backlighting, so that every tiny seed and hairlike Žlament seems illuminated from within. Ornamental grasses are simply unbeatable fresh or dried in arrangements, with žowers or by themselves.
To prevent rotting during the rainy season, plant ornamental grasses high enough to ensure drainage away from the base of the plant. Wait until late winter or until they no longer look great, then shear ruthlessly to 4 or 6 inches. Divisions are necessary at least every three years. Once established, many grasses will reward you by being drought and heat resistant.
Please note some of the given bloom times have been extended beyond the actual žowering period to include the interesting dried effect of the inžorescences in winter.
Further reading about ornamental grasses:Dream Plants for the Natural Garden by Henk Gerritsen and Piet Oudolf Timber Press Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses by Rick Darke The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses Sedges, Rushes, Restios, Cat-tails, and Selected Bamboos by Rick Darke Acorus
White-striped Japanese Sweet FlagNamed for the pleasant, pinelike fragrance that emanates from the entire plant, Acorus is neither a grass nor a sedge. This variegated grassy perennial is an unusual member of the Arum family, once used as an aromatic addition to perfumes, gin and beer.
An illustrious, water-loving accent for damp shady
borders, shallow water or at pond’s edge, its waxy evergreen fans of upright, green flattened blades emerge from slowly creeping rhizomes while boasting neat alabaster striped margins.
Size: 8"–12" high x 18"–2' wide; hardy to zone 5.
Acorus gramineus Variegatus (G-0460)
Each $6.00
Add to Cart Ampelodesmos
Mauritania Vine Reed
Rope GrassHailing from the Mediterranean, this stately grass yields fine textured, evergreen blades tough enough to fashion ties, ropes and baskets, and large enough to make an imposing stand-alone specimen in your mixed border.
Lofty, upward and arching stems race skyward, asserting mostly one-sided pearl-colored panicles above a dark green clump-forming mound. While airy purple-flushed inflorescences invite birds and gardeners alike, the robust Rope Grass maintains its majestic composure throughout the winter, requiring a sheltered, sunny position with well drained soil.
Blooms July–November. Size: 9" high x 3'–4' wide; hardy to zone 8.
Ampelodesmos mauritanicus (G-0479)
Each $6.00
Add to Cart Andropogon
Big BluestemHistorically renowned as the sod our ancestors broke their backs busting, Big Bluestem is the most widespread of all the prairie grasses. Its regal and wild color show makes it a must in our garden. Growing to great size, the stand’s lush, blue-blushed summer greenery becomes a burgundy and
copper glory at first frost. Soaring three-pronged red seed heads beg its other common name, Turkeyfoot.
Reliable, heat tolerant and sturdy, Andropogon gerardii thrives in poorly drained clay to dry sandy soils, and easily transitions the outskirts of your garden into the wild meadow beyond.
Blooms late August–October. Size: 5'–8' high x 3' wide; hardy to zone 4.
Andropogon gerardii (g-0448)
Each $7.00
Add to Cart Bouteloua
Mosquito GrassWe wish more plants were like this one! This North American native is tough, drought tolerant, and adds delicacy and movement wherever it’s placed. Slightly iridescent, Mosquito Grass offers tiny seed heads borne atop thin, wiry stems. Resembling aerial minnows, the inflorescences dart above 1 ft. clumps of dense, narrow blades. Plant them next to a garden seat or steps where they can be enjoyed at close range.
Blooms June–November. Size: 18" high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 5.
Bouteloua gracilis (g-0002)
Each $7.00
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Briza
Rattlesnake GrassPeople delight in this Mediterranean native, and its playfully noisy nature has earned it amusing names like cowquakes, didder and dillies; it earns “Rattlesnake” for the rattlelike, heart-shaped inflorescences. On delicate, swaying stems, the small flowers emerge a shimmery green
highlighted with red, and dry to a light straw color.
Medium green, finely textured blades form dense, long-lived evergreen clumps, and forgivingly put up
with winds, drought and salt spray.
Blooms April–June. Size: 2' high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 4.
Briza media (g-0087)
Each $6.50
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Extremely tough, undemanding and hardy, this truly all-purpose grass brings bold, erect lines to the garden spectrum. Korean Feather Reed GrassWarmed by rosy maroon plumes, Calamagrostis brachytricha is native to the moist woodlands of eastern Asia. The inflorescences stay open and feathery, even when they dry, and eventually pale to an elegant silvery gray. Magical both in an arrangement or outside when the wind blows, the panicles leap from a clump of glossy green, upright and arching blades. This warm season grass exhibits a smaller stature, making it well suited for a container.
Blooms September. Size: 4' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 4.
Calamagrostis brachytricha (G-0067)
Each $7.00
Add to Cart This distinctive newcomer is a variegated form of Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ first spotted by Steve Schmidt at American Ornamental Perennials. Showcasing dramatically striped foliage, the medium-sized clumps spring to life as a hefty white central band bordered by narrow green margins embellishes each blade. Topped with an airy aura of rose-tinged green plumes that later take on warm, golden hues, ‘Avalanche’s straight-up stance forges a compelling specimen, or when planted en masse, a boldly patterned screen. Zone 4/5. (PPAF)
Blooms May–January. Size: 5' high x 3' wide; hardy to zone 5.
Calamagrostis x acutiflora Avalanche (G-0469)
Each $7.00
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Karl Foerster’s Feather Reed GrassNamed for pioneering German nurseryman Karl Foerster, this selection bears loose and airy 12 in. seed heads, which tighten to slender plumes by midsummer. Rising above 2 ft. clumps of narrow green foliage, the inflorescences create an ideal semitransparent veiling effect. Plant with deep green Viburnums to accentuate its golden flowering stems.
Blooms May–January. Size: 5' high x 3' wide; hardy to zone 5.
Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl Foerster (G-0003)
Each $7.00
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Sedge
A diverse genus comprised of nearly 1000 species, most Carex originate in the moist habitats of temperate climates. Our graceful selections are easy to grow and promise to soften those hard edges in your garden. Frosted Curls SedgeApplauded as one of the most distinctive native New Zealand grasses, this Carex spotlights a frosted fountain of gracefully cascading hairlike blades. The iridescent light green leaves twist their tips and gleam with pewter highlights, while staging a dense evergreen clump that spills over rocks, walls or a favored patio container.
For an especially fluid display, ‘Frosted Curls’ is best planted en masse on a slope where its trailing foliage appears to flow like water.
Size: 12" high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 7.
Carex albula Frosted Curls (G-0482)
Each $7.00
Add to Cart Longitudinal white stripes, some broad, others thin, sprint down the center and border the margins, painting their bold, illuminated pattern on each short, narrow green blade. This dapper-looking new sedge was selected by Minnesota’s Hans Hansen and is a smaller version of its close relation, Carex siderosticha. Dwelling in the dry and dimly lit, grassy mountainous haunts of China, Korea and Japan, ‘Treasure Island’ slowly spreads by rhizomes, forming a versatile, low dense cover that thrives with adequate moisture but can handle some sun and appreciable shade or dryness. (pp# 16332).
Size: 4" high x 15" wide; hardy to zone 5.
AVAILABLE JUNE 2008
Carex ciliatomarginata Treasure Island (G-0502)
Each $8.00
Add to Cart Kaga Brocade SedgeNishiki means “brocade,” and it rightly describes the variegated blades of this superb selection, which comes to our country from Japan’s Gotemba Nursery. Forming a tidy, fountainlike mound, each slender leaf has a green central stripe emargined in a radiant gold.
Long-lived and durable, ‘Kaga Nishiki’ makes a bright accent against the broad-leafed greenery in the border.
Size: 8"–10" high x 18" wide; hardy to zone 6.
Carex dolichostachya Kaga Nishiki (g-0098)
Each $7.00
Add to Cart Bowles Golden SedgeThis beautiful sedge offers the clearest yellow of any grass, plus a courtly, rounded form. Its compact size is ideal for the rock garden or mixed border. Best of all, the coloring becomes even more brilliant in partial shade.
Use it to enliven the woodland garden, or make a stunning statement by planting it with other golden foliage or with the contrasting leaves of Pulmonaria ‘Roy Davidson’. Bowles Golden will become a dense stand in only a few seasons.
Size: 15" high x 18" wide; hardy to zone 5.
Carex elata Aurea (G-0006)
Each $8.00
Add to Cart Solidly colored in clear golden yellows, this Carex’s graceful hummock will energize the ho-hum corners of your garden. With upright and arching, evergreen foliage, ‘Knightshayes’ requires moisture and bright shade to retain the gilt, fine textured hues. Try establishing singly or en masse near ponds, streams, in a damp border or even in water, where its glowing accents and reflections are sure to beckon.
Size: 15" high x 18" wide; hardy to zone 5.
Carex elata Knightshayes (G-0096)
Each $7.00
Add to Cart Carnation GrassWith its sea of striking blue, Carnation-like foliage, this handsome Carex is aptly named. Glaucous, narrow blades create a noninvasive, slowly spreading mass. Purple-black spikes appear to float like a subtle mist just above the solid, jointless flowering stems. Easy to establish and indispensable as a low
ground cover, Carex flacca tolerates drought, adapts to an array of growing conditions and effectively
interweaves a tapestry of Heathers.
Blooms May–June. Size: 6"–15" high x 12"–15" wide; hardy to zone 4.
Carex flacca (glauca) (G-0099)
Each $6.50
Add to Cart Introduced by Barry Yinger, long-lived ‘Ice Dance’ comes to us from the woodlands flanking Japan’s low-lying mountains. Dark emerald in color, the reflexed, leathery leaves are shiny and heightened by creamy white margins.
This tidy evergreen ground cover is not invasive; its spreading rhizomes form a coarsely textured carpet that is somewhat drought tolerant once established.
Size: 12" high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 5.
Carex morrowii Ice Dance (g-0088)
Each $6.50
Add to Cart Oshima SedgeArching upward and out, this Carex’s lush foliage is elegant. A glinting cascade of refined, evergreen blades presents dark green margins with broad, alabaster-colored central stripes that mature to creamy yellow. Languishing if it’s too hot, slow spreading ‘Gold Strike’ thrives in moist, well drained sites, and makes a bold statement when its densely set, variegated tussocks are planted in a meandering swath amidst Pulmonaria ‘Benediction’ or Epimediums.
Size: 15"–20" high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 6.
Carex oshimensis Gold Strike (g-0461)
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It’s always a happy day for us when the broad bamboo-like blades finally burst forth each spring. Pale yellow and gold-hued margins encompass cream streaked lime centers, while the bold arching leaves achieve a highly ornamental, dense low cover that spreads slowly from underground rhizomes.
Undoubtedly inspiring its cultivar name, the ornately patterned, deciduous foliage becomes an illuminated beacon for the woodland garden or some sullen niche in need of sprucing up. (PPAF)
Size: 9"–12" high x 12" wide; hardy to zone 6.
Carex siderosticha Island Brocade (G-0481)
Each $8.00
Add to Cart New Zealand SedgeA cozy fusion of colors—from dark chocolate and cappuccino to reddish bronze—distinguish this fine textured evergreen sedge. Whether positioned in a border, cascading over a wall or embellishing a container, the long and narrow, arching foliage fashions a loosely arranged, graceful mound whose rich warm tones juxtapose green and golden leafage to great affect.
Carex tenuiculmis favors moist soil, and can be brought inside wherever it’s not winter hardy.
Size: 12"–15" high x 12"–15" wide; hardy to zone 7.
Carex tenuiculmis (G-0471)
Each $6.50
Add to Cart Orange New Zealand SedgeThe exotic look of lucent orange foliage paints the garden’s verdant canvas nearly year round. Long, fine textured strands first emerge an olive-green and later transmute stunning golden brown, copper and orange highlights. With its upright and dense arching tuft, easy-to-grow Carex testacea is a hardy, drought tolerant grass that entices gardeners, but not deer, insisting on full sun to preserve the extraordinary hues, and good drainage.
Let this evergreen New Zealand native spill over a container’s edge or cozy up to Yucca ‘Garlands Gold’, Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ and Euphorbia myrsinites.
Size: 18"–2' high x 18" wide; hardy to zone 6.
Carex testacea (G-0495)
Each $6.50
Add to Cart Tataki GrassDistinctive among New Zealand sedges for its rather broad evergreen blades and stout character, this robust, ample-sized Carex is a denizen of the Kiwi country’s rocky coastal areas, as well as Chile and the Falkland Islands. A double fold inscribes the glaucous blue-green leaves that need sun to maintain their watery hues. Obliging drought and light shade, the dense arching tussock exhibits a fluid ease, and come summer puts forth thick upright stems topped with decorative dark chestnut-brown inflorescences. Zone 7/8.
Blooms JulyAugust. Size: 2'–3' high x 3' wide; hardy to zone 8.
Carex trifida (G-0494)
Each $6.50
Add to Cart Berkeley SedgeWe favor Berkeley Sedge for its lush meadow look. Ranging from Washington to California’s Monterey coast, this western native’s deep green and lustrous, thin evergreen blades elegantly arch out from a clumping base and yield inconspicuous brownish blooms held by lax, wiry stems.
Once established, the fast growing and versatile Carex tumulicola can endure an array of factors: some drought, boggy areas, tree roots, sun or shade, and foot traffic, including the four-legged kind. However, regular watering and a trim every 6 months will ensure the most verdant growth. You can space it closely and mow for a turflike effect, plant en masse as a ground cover in a small or large area or create a shady vignette with Euphorbia characias x robbiae and Geranium sinense.
Blooms May–June. Size: 18"–2' high x 2' wide; hardy to zone 7.
Carex tumulicola (G-0449)
Each $6.00
Add to Cart Chasmanthium
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