Grass and Bamboo: Question about Maiden Grass descriptors, 1 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
Yes! Eragrostis spectabilis!

LOVE your Muhlenbergia. I had hesitated because of zone concerns but I goggled your name and it is hardy to zone 5! I see that plant in my future.

Huron Sunrise I highly recommend. My only error with this grass is that I only put in one, to replace a silberfeil my designer put in. There is a reason silberfeil is no longer widely available. It READILY dies out in the middle. So I put in a Huron Sunrise (no good pics!) and was blown away. It doesn't flop, and the stories about it being one of the most floriferous are true. Gorgeous burgundy plumes, and lots of them. I have three in my front yard. It's not the tallest grass, but it definitely Spectacular in a very classy way.

Yes, I agree with your use of adagio. It is only about two a half feet tall, it weeps, and it is extremely elegant and refined. I put it on the other side of gracillimus, and near fountain grass, that has a similar shape. I acquired two but put them in my walnut bed, which killed them. I must find a new spot - it's a wonderful grass.

The first photo, taken with rose Marchesa Boccella, will give you a really good comparison in size between Adagio and gracillimus. It was taken in October. Note the tall grass in bloom, which is gracillimus. The shorter grass to the right, which has already bloomed, is Adagio. In the second picture, in September, is Adagio in bloom and a bit of gracillimus to the right. It is taken from the reverse side.

Morning Light gets to about the same height as gracillimus, so it's a good block. It is at least a foot taller than Huron Sunrise. When I say the blades cut, I should say that it mattered because I had lilies, and it sliced them. And when I went in between the MLs to handle the lilies, it sliced me. But unless you are going to be romping between your grasses, it isn't a problem, and I did install it again.

If you can't get the grasses you want from garden centers, Romence is a good place to order grasses, if you are going to order them. They are bigger than most and establish faster. Also, they are doing $9.95 flat shipping this spring. I got three Huron Sunrise and Morning Light from them and I was very pleased. I should also add that I was very happy with Miscanthus Graziella and Pennisetum Hamlyn from Bluestone. They were half price and established quickly. I was frankly surprised to receive such good grasses from Bluestone.

The only grass I have found to be somewhat invasive is chasmanthium latifolium - Northern Sea Oats. But I love it because it grows in sun or shade, moisture or dryness, and it overwinters spectacularly. The talk about invasiveness is nonsense. After about ten years silberfeder started seeding a bit. But it's easy to see, and easy to pull out. The stuff about invasiveness came from the native nazis I lived around. I find myself annoyed by people who have agendas that make them distort facts, both about plants they like and plants they don't. But my conservation, native oriented community approved my garden plan. I must have had 40 miscanthus, and it never raised an issue anywhere except some silberfeder seeding in my yard.

I just love your choices. You seem to have done fabulous research. I'm really glad that I took a lot of pictures, because I can enjoy the memory and it helps people who are trying to make choices.