CALAMAGROSTIS x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'

Sublime, rustic and easy hybrid of the Calamagrostis genus, perennial and semi-deciduous herbaceous, rapidly growing and with a dense, regular and roundish bushy habit: at the maximum of its development and in full flowering it can grow more than 150 cm tall and about 60cm large. It’s equipped with a fairly deep root system, it is made up of numerous thin, hollow and rigid stems, called "culms" as in all grasses, with an erect, vertical, rising trend: leaves, which detach from the nodes present on the stems and sheath them part of the internodes before folding softly upwards giving the plant a rather globular shape, are linear, ribbon-like, glabrous, dark green, with smooth edges and acute apex. From late summer until autumn they sprout on thin and tall stems, strictly parallel to each other, these are no numerous that in this season the plant takes on a columnar appearance, abundant spike inflorescences, narrow and elongated, softly swaying under even the slightest strokes of wind, which from an initial green-purplish color slowly turn towards a golden beige: no seeds are formed which would determine a simple natural dissemination, as happens for many other grasses, and this because of its hybrid nature.

It adapts to any kind of soil, as long as they are well drained and permeable; it requires sunny positions or at most partial shade. It tolerates even prolonged periods of drought and resists the salinity of sea winds in coastal areas. Really very rustic, it tolerates temperatures of many degrees below zero in winter. In spring, during the vegetative restart, it may be convenient to shorten the various withered stems to a few centimeters from the ground, in order to stimulate a more generous emission of new shoots and consequently a richer subsequent flowering. Suitable to be cultivated on terraces and balconies in large containers or pots with perfect drainage; widely used in public green settings due to its vigor and reduced maintenance, in the open ground use it both alone and mixed with other grasses with contrasting foliage or with herbaceous plants with complementary blooms, to decorate any large flowerbed or corner of our garden: arranging various specimens in sequence, on the other hand, a low border could be made, a truly unusual and original green backdrop.