Karl foerster feather reed grass companion plants

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass looks best when given adequate spacing, so be careful not to pack too many plants around it. When properly spaced, consider using Little Goldstar Black-Eyed Susan or Hairy Wild Petunia to give added color.

Following garden design principles can result in pleasing and thriving plant combinations. The plant combinations here feature a variety of ornamental grasses and an array of complementary companion plants, utilizing the design methods of massing, repetition and emphasis through varying shapes, sizes, textures and colors. These companion plants not only complement one another beautifully, but they all share the same needs for light and water in their combination plantings. All examples shown prefer full to partial sun and have low water needs.

‘Karl Foerster’ Feather Reed Grass
Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’
Garden hybrid

‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (USDA zones 5 to 9; reported to grow also in zones 3 and 4; find your zone) has shiny green foliage that reaches 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Its showy, feathery plumes emerge in spring or summer and create a narrow, vertical statement, reaching 5 to 6 feet tall. They change to a wheat color through the fall and winter in some regions.

In this meadow-like garden, the feather reed grass creates a dramatic effect of layering and massing, in tandem with the flowering plants in the foreground and against the darkness and strength of the trees in the background. The prominent companion plants include white coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’) and Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia). Together, they offer a beautiful tapestry of colors, contrasts, shapes and textures.

See how to grow ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass

‘Karley Rose’ Fountain Grass
(Pennisetum orientale ‘Karley Rose’)
Cultivated variety of a central and western Asian native

‘Karley Rose’ (zones 5 to 9) is a graceful low-water grass with arching foliage that grows 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. It has soft buff-pink plumes that provide subtle color, texture and motion in the landscape. Some species, such as Pennisetum sataceum, can become invasive by self-seeding, but I’ve not found ‘Karley Rose’ to be invasive in Northern California. Check if it’s invasive in your region before planting.

‘Karley Rose’ is the dominant plant in this hillside landscape, repeated sparingly and complemented by a variety of lower-growing, low-water and deer-resistant companions. Some plants in this combination include varieties of lavender (Lavandula spp.) and lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina). Combined, they offer an array of textures and pastel tones with shades of green and blue foliage. The boulders are an additional bold element that complements this lovely plant grouping.

‘Blonde Ambition’ Blue Grama
(Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’)
Cultivated variety of a North American native

‘Blonde Ambition’ (zones 4 to 9) is a finely textured, blue-green grass with dainty blond flag-like flowers on stiff stems that reach 2 to 3 feet in height.

The textural companions shown here include Icee Blue yellow-wood (Podocarpus elongates ‘Monmal’) — the tall shrubs with blue-gray foliage; kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos ‘Red Cross’), with red flowers; the black succulent Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’; and a variety of low-growing succulents, including Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’, at the base of the grasses.

See how to grow blue grama grass

Blue Oat Grass
(Helictotrichon sempervirens)
Native to the Mediterranean region of Europe

Blue oat grass (zones 4 to 8), appearing in the center of the design here, has thin silver-blue-tan blades that form a neat, spiky clump that grows 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. It produces beige flowers in summer that rise about 1 foot above the foliage.

In this vignette, blue oat grass softens the boldness of the succulents and the other broad-leaved plants with its finer foliage. The dramatic and complementary companion plants shown include ‘Safari Sunset’ conebush (Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’), ‘Blue Glow’ agave (Agave ‘Blue Glow’), foxtail agave (Agave attenuata) and Grevillea ‘Long John’ in the background.

See how to grow blue oat grass

‘Elijah Blue’ Fescue
(Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’)
Cultivated variety of a European native

‘Elijah Blue’ Fescue (zones 4 to 8) is a compact, mounding, well-behaved grass with icy-blue foliage that grows 8 to 12 inches tall and wide. Eye-catching buff-colored flowers emerge above the foliage in summer.

The striking planting arrangement here replaced a water-thirsty lawn. ‘Elijah Blue’ is shown in the middle, with blue moor grass (Sesleria caerulea) in the foreground and blue oat grass in the background. This dramatic massing of grasses is artfully woven with the succulent Echeveria ‘Afterglow’, resulting in a vibrant contrast of colors and textures.

See how to grow blue fescue

‘Gracillimus’ Maiden Grass
(Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’)
Cultivated variety of a Japanese, Chinese and Korean native

‘Gracillimus’ (zones 5 to 9) is a large clump-forming ornamental grass with finely textured, silver-green blades that turn a golden bronze in fall through winter. It can grow 6 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. Attractive coppery-pink plumes appear in late summer to fall. Some species of Miscanthus can become invasive by self-seeding in some regions. Check if it’s invasive in your region before planting.

This grass is very effective at the back of a planting bed layered with lower-growing plants in front. Purple-flowering ‘Blue Fortune’ hyssop (Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’), shown in this photo, is a good companion plant.

What can I plant next to ornamental grasses?

How far apart is Karl Foerster?