Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’

Feather reed grass is a dramatic ornamental grass used in many types of landscapes. When the Perennial Plant Association named this cultivar their 2001 Perennial Plant of the Year®, they called it “one of the most versatile, attractive, and low maintenance ornamental grasses.”

This is a cool season grass, hardy with a deep green, glossy look persists all year in all but the coldest spots here when in early winter when it turns a golden tan color. They have an erect narrow form that is only about 50cm wide and up to 70cm tall until it flowers in summer when it shoots up bold  heads of the loose, feathery inflorescences emerging green, then opening to airy, rosy-pink plumes. After a few weeks the color changes to dark maroon, then to bronze, and finally to golden tan. The plants flower stalks remain upright through the winter to provide winter interest. 1.5m tall.  It prefers to grow with adequate moisture.

C. x acutiflora is thought to be a natural hybrid of C. epigejos (native to Europe, Asia and Africa) and C. arundinacea (native to Eurasia, China and India) that occurred in the Hamburg Botanical Garden. It was introduced to the industry as an ornamental in 1950 by German nurseryman Karl Foerster. It was brought into the United States from Denmark in 1964. It is almost identical to C. x acutiflora ‘Stricta’ (so identical that these plants are often confused by some nurseries) but ‘Karl Foerster’ does not self-seed. Thanks to Wisconsin Horticulture for the information about its parentage, 

Young flowers: Greg Goebel from Loveland CO, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Mature seed heads: Daryl Mitchell from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons