Calamagrostis include some of the most popular and reliable ornamental grasses for the garden. Mostly clump forming and very well behaved they are excellent grasses for the beginner with a small space and are widely used in large scale landscape plantings too.
The forms of Calamagrostis x acutiflora are reliable and safe plants for sun or part shade with clump forming, upright habits and relatively early tall flowers followed by long lasting seed heads. Despite the attractive seadheads Calamagrostis x acutiflora and it's forms is sterile so there is never any need to worry about self seeding.
The other species are mostly similar with clumps (except C epigejos) and upright flowers.
Calamagrostis are happy in most soils, just avoid the extremes of wet and dry, they will survive modest droughts and floods as long as the normal conditions return.
Tufts of glossy, rich, green foliage and flowering stems to 1.2m. Upright plumes start pinkish in early autumn and fade to silvery buff. Good in winter.
Loose clumps of upright stems with relatively broad greyish leaves and mad plumes of cream flowers that arch and curl to one side in summer. Drained soil in full sun. 90cm.
An attractive patch forming species with very upright fluffy flowers and long lasting seedheads to 1.5m or so. Most soils in sun or light shade. Native.
Bright creamy white striped leaves, tinged pink and upright purplish pink flowers in summer. 1.2m. Dense clumps of foliage provide upright columns of stems that last all winter, cut back in February. Average soil in sun.
Often used in naturalistic gardens this is an excellent garden grass. Dense clumps of foliage and tall, upright stems topped with purple flushed green flowers in summer. 1.5m. Ordinary soil in sun or part shade. Good winter effect from the stems and seedheads.
White variegated leaves, tinged pink in spring make an attractive clump that will produce a column of fluffy flowers that start pink and fade to buff to stand all winter. 1.5m.
Very similar to the better known 'Karl Foerster' but flowers two weeks earlier, narrow flowers. Dense clumps of foliage and tall, upright stems topped with purple flushed green flowers in summer. 1.5m.
