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Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’
golden Japanese forest grass
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Image © Great Plant Picks
Image © Lynne Thompson/Great Plant Picks
Image © Lynne Thompson/Great Plant Picks
Image © Lynne Thompson/Great Plant Picks |
Printer-friendly Fact Sheet
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| Outstanding Qualities |
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Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ is an elegant grass worthy of a spot in every garden. Its narrow, arching leaves are striped with bright green and gold. They ripple in the gentlest breeze and add vitality to the garden. This grass has many uses: as a groundcover, to edge a pathway, cascading down a bank like a golden waterfall or setting off shrubs or other perennials. It is sensational in a container.In late summer, Japanese forest grass produces airy seedheads that dance above its foliage. As fall temperatures cool, the foliage takes on pink tints, finally turning butterscotch before collapsing in winter. The late Elisabeth Carey Miller, an influential Seattle-area garden, is said to have the first plant of this in the Pacific Northwest. It is a wide patch now, at least 6 feet across. |
| Culture |
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Plant Japanese forest grass in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil part shade or full sun. In full sun, it takes on a sun-bleached, towhead look. It spreads very slowly by rhizomes, never so much that it is a nuisance. If desired, it can be divided in early spring just as new foliage emerges. Provide supplemental water during summer dry spells. Cut the old leaves down in early December otherwise they become mushy and harder to snip. Cats and dogs can be particularly fond of this grass and will regularly prune it if planted where they hang out. |
| Growing Habit |
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This deciduous grass grows approximately 18 inches high by 3 feet wide in about 5 years. If you are using it as a groundcover, set plants 18 inches apart. |
| Hardiness |
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USDA zones 5 to 8 |
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© 2009 Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden
Funded by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation
Administered by the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden