Reed grasses
Botanical name: Calamagrostis
Reed grasses
Botanical name: Calamagrostis
Description
Reed grasses are ornamental grasses that are popularly used in gardens for contrast and backdrops. The feathery flower heads appear in the summer with seed heads visible until winter, adding to the attraction of these long-lasting grasses. Reed grasses are easy to care for and have produced a number of hybrids.
Species of Reed grasses
Coastal small-reed
Coastal small-reed (Calamagrostis pseudophragmites) is a widespread grass that can be found growing on riverbanks and moist grassy slopes. It can be distinguished from its close family members by its stem, which is much smoother than theirs. It is not grown ornamentally.
Pacific Reedgrass
Pacific Reedgrass (Calamagrostis nutkaensis) is a perennial bunchgrass that forms thick tufts of stems. These stems can grow to be 1 m tall. Pacific Reedgrass is native to western North America. It is also known as Nootka reedgrass.
Purple small-reed
Purple small-reed is a perennial grass that lives for a long time and typically grows in marshy areas, as well as fens and meadows. It produces clusters of leaves which give it its characteristic appearance, and the plant is adorned with flowers during the summer.
Bush-grass
This tufted grass is native to Europe, Africa, and Asia, but has been naturalized in North and South America. It's commonly used as a garden plant valued for its ornamental features and the vertical interest it provides. Bush-grass is also used to prevent and control soil erosion.
Rough small-reed
Calamagrostis arundinacea is a tufted, clump-forming grass, often used in gardens as a highly-valued ornamental. It's a low-maintenance grass that provides a nice display with its elegant foliage and feathery flowers. Rough small-reed has even earned the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
Reed grass 'Karl Foerster'
A cultivar of feather reed grass, reed grass 'Karl Foerster' is notable for its particular stiffness and also for its propensity to emerge earlier than other cultivars, being one of the earliest perennial grasses to appear in spring. Its color fades from green to bronze from midsummer onward. This cultivar is named for German nurseryman, Karl Foerster.
Canadian bluejoint
The Calamagrostis canadensis is known by a long list of common names, one of which is canadian bluejoint. It is native to various areas in the United States and Canada. It is usually used as a food plant for livestock.
Feather reed grass
Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora) is an ornamental perennial grass that will grow from 91 to 183 cm tall when in bloom. Also called the Karl Foerster. Feather reed grass grows in dense clumps and pink flowers bloom in early summer then turn gold in late summer. It prefers full sun requires very little maintenance and is a good garden plant.
Scientific Classification
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