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What's this variegated grass?

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  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    I have a plant that lingers on in one dryish, shady spot. 0ne year I planted some bits in the boggy Dell area and it loved it. Completely took off and covered it, looked fantastic. The following year - nothing at all! It hasn't resurfaced there ever again. Burn out?
  • WiltshireWildWiltshireWild Posts: 64
    edited August 2023
    Here's what RHS say....

    "reed canary grass

    Vigorous perennial grass with a running rootstock, forming an extensive colony of upright stems, to 1.5m tall in flower, bearing narrow, linear, mid-green leaves to 35cm long, and narrow panicles to 17cm long of pale green flower spikelets in summer"

    I'm going to plant it out in a dry shady spot up against a paved driveway and right next to a wall. It can be thuggish all it likes there! 

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Dry shade does seem to control it. I've used it to brighten up a few dark corners.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • I wonder if it would work in the border with a buried pot. The white foliage is quite impressive. Would look amazing growing next to a dark leaved plant. I imagine it would set off my physocarpus perfectly. 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @WiltshireWild I am not sure how well it will do in a pot, if it gets pot bound which I think could easily happen it never looks as healthy. Perhaps if you lift and split at least every year that might be the way. The white is more prominent in the younger leaves as it  grows the green is more apparent.
    I like the idea of growing it with physocarpus plus a blue long flowering Geranium maybe or silver foliage as long as there is some dark green to calm[all just a thought].
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think there are better grasses to have, but most are difficult in containers long term.
    If you could make a big enough 'container' in the ground for it, that might work  :)
    I grow Spartina, which is excellent for wet ground as well as dry, as it's a coastal plant that can cope with flooding, but it can get quite wide.
    I have it in a florists' bucket in the ground, with the bottom cut out. It's been there a few years now after moving it from a raised bed where it had got a bit big for the space.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Fairygirl I agree there are lots of lovely grasses that make much better garden worthy plants. Although I cannot think of one that has such good variegation and isn't tender.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    And it's soft 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited August 2023
    Here's  a couple of mine 

    Top one is a couple of years old
    Bottom one is over 20 years old
    I cut off the dead leaves in the autumn and pull out any bits that have spread too far. They don't  need digging out 
    PS I was a bit too enthusiastic with the older one this year but it will fill out again next year
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    It makes a good marginal pond plant where it's easier to control. 
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