Calamagrostis foliosa is an evergreen perennial grass (or grassy in appearance) with blue and green foliage. In summer cream, pink and tan flowers emerge. Grows well with sun - mostly shade and regular water. Drought tolerant once established. Does well in average and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something verticillium wilt resistant.
CHARACTERISTICS OF Calamagrostis foliosa
Plant type: perennial grass (or grassy in appearance)
Blue-green tuft-forrming clumps. Cream-colored flowers. California native that can be found in coastal forests. Can handle some clay soils, some sandy soils. Hardy to 15ºF.
Garnished by violet tinges, low loose mounds of glaucous blue-gray blades generally remain throughout the year and set this cool season California native apart from other North American Calamagrostis species. Slender tapering pinkish purple panicles sojourn just above the relaxed foliage in a lovely fountainlike fashion and by early summer adopt luminous flaxen hues. Cape Mendocino Reed Grass is unhappy where it's hot, appreciates summer irrigation and can be massed as an artful ground cover or peppered throughout a mixed border planting or a naturalized meadow.
Blue-gray densely clustered foliage?with streaks of purple, forming low mounds to 2' wide. Dense purple panicles appear in spring, turn a tawny beige in summer, and are held for months. Best with some summer irrigation, perhaps moderately if in full sun, and only occasionally in partial shade. Useful in coastal gardens but not recommended for hot, interior climates. Hardy to 10F. Endangered species from coastal Humboldt County, California.