Catalog Description
Highly ornamental grass for use in perennial borders. Green blades striped with creamy white continues colorful display through summer, perfect for edging or groundcover. Herbaceous. Full to partial sun. Moderate-growing to 12 to 18 inches tall and wide. Showy flowers held above foliage. Division. |
Design Ideas
With its preference for acid soils, this Grass is ideal for the Pacific Northwest and Deep South. A great accent for the front of the border, or gang it around the edges of planters for a soft transition. Relaxed and sprawling, this Grass creates soft patches in wild gardens. Also attractive in sunny spots of shade gardens under conifers, where soil is acidic enough. Also does well on banks and borders. Short stature makes it good for city conditions.
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Companion Plants
Grow Moor Grass with other acid-loving plants in soft colors such as the shell-pink Jean May Sasanqua Camellia (Camellia sasanqua `Jean May`) and the later flowering, white Shiro Chan Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica `Shiro Chan`).
Very nice light accent with the dark foliage of P.
J.
M.
Rhododendron (Rhododendron x `P.
J.
M`) and among the vivid low-growing Siberian Cypress (Microbiota decussata).
It shares the same preferences as Emperor ITM Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum `Wolff`) and will grow nicely under its canopy.
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Average Landscape Size
Moderate growing to 12 to 18 in. tall and wide. |
Key Plant Benefits
Highly ornamental grass for use in perennial borders. Green blades striped with creamy white continues colorful display through summer, perfect for edging or ground cover. Herbaceous perennial. |
Care Instructions
Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. For a neat appearance, remove old foliage before new leaves emerge. Divide clumps every 2 to 3 years in early spring. |
Growth Conditions
| Growth Rate |
 Moderate Growing |
| Growth Habit |
| Clumping |
| Heat Zones |
High:
| 9 (>120 to 150 days) |
| Low: | 1 (< 1 days) |
| Cold Hardiness |
| High: | 9 (20 to 30 F) (see map) |
| Low: | 5 (-20 to -10 F) |
| Water Requirements |
| Keep surface of soil moist, but not soggy. |
| Sun Exposure |
| Full to partial sun |
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Flowering
Flower or Bloom description:
Clusters of spikelets carrying tiny flowers
| Flower Color |
| Purple |
| Flowering Time/Season |
| Purple spikes in late summer-fall. |
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Propagation
| Propagation Method |
1
| Division |
| Best time to Prune |
| No Value |
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Attributes
Border Plant
Clump Forming
Disease Resistant
Dramatic Foliage Color
Erosion Control
Extremely Hardy
Fall Color
Fall Flowering
Groundcover
Mediterranean Garden
Modern Garden
Naturalizes Well
Pest Resistant
Prairie Garden
Rock Garden Plant
Seacoast Exposure
Showy Flowers
Spring Flowering
Summer Flowering
Tolerates Acidic Soil
Woodland Garden |
Foliage
Flat, long, white striped yellow stems
| Foliage Shape | Linear |
| Normal foliage color | Green |
| Underside foliage | Green |
| Juvenile foliage | Green |
| Mature foliage | Green |
| New foliage | Green |
| Spring foliage | Green |
| Summer foliage | Green |
| Fall foliage | Green |
| Winter foliage | No Value |
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Plant Lore
Moor grass was used for thatching and straw for livestock in early agricultural communities of northern Europe. |
Plant History
The genus for moor grass was named for Juan Molina (1740-1829), an authority on the natural history of Chile. The species are found in wet moorlands and heaths of the Old World from Europe to Japan. This is the only ornamental species. |
New Plant
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