Scientific Name:
Calamagrostis
x
acutiflora
Pronunciation:
kal-uh-muh-GRAHSS-tiss ex uh-kew-tih-FLORE-uh
Common Name:
feather reed grass
Family Name:
Poaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial, Poales (grass-like)
Key ID Features:
Vertical grass to 1.4m tall with swollen nodes; leaf blades 30-50 cm long x 6-8mm wide, sticky (hairs that catch); inflorescence loose, florets very tight in upright spike of spikelets, purplish brown.
Habit:
Arching, Dense, Spreading, Stiffly upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
1.3 - 2.0m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Garden origin (C. arundinacea x C. epigejos)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate, Wetlands
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Attract birds, Container planting, Cut flower or foliage, Dried flower or fruit, Fall interest, Group or mass planting, Perennial border, Small garden/space, Specimen plant, Summer interest, Tall background, Waterside planting, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include
C. 'Karl Foerster',
C. 'Eldorado', and
C. 'Overdam'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Grass-like
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Parallel venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Green, Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Eldorado' has unusual gold variegated foliage, the narrow green leaves have a bright gold center which radiates out in the sunlight. Attractive tan wheat-like seeds appear in early summer and persist all season.
Colour in Fall:
Brown
Shapes:
Linear
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Sheathing
Margins:
Entire
Additional Info:
Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Eldorado' has unusual gold variegated foliage, the narrow green leaves have a bright gold center which radiates out in the sunlight. Attractive tan wheat-like seeds appear in early summer and persist all season.
Inflorescence Type:
Spikelet, Floriferous, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Green-yellow, Pink
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun
Fruit Type:
Grain (caryopsis)
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Not showy
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Tan
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Rust (Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)
Course(s):
- HORT 2355
- Level 4 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (BUG) BUG garden : cv. Karl Foerster
- (CGW) Community Garden West
- (FEA) Field lab Equipment Area : cv. Karl Foerster
- (MCF) Main Courtyard Fountain : cv. Karl Foerster
- (ONW) Overpass North side West : cv. Eldorado
- (PDW) PonD West : cv. Overdam
- (PHA) PolyHouse and Area
- (WDH) Wark-Dumais House