A Guide to Growing Reed Grasses: Best-Performing Varieties and Care

As native grasses such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium and cvs., Zones 3–9) and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis and cvs., Zones 3–9) increasingly gain traction in gardens, exotics such as miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis and cvs., Zones 4–9) are losing favor because of their invasive tendencies. But not all exotic grasses are troublesome and need to be avoided. Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora and cvs., Zones 5–9) is a natural hybrid of C. arundinacea and C. epigejos, which are both nonnatives and prolific self-sowers, but the hybrid rarely sets fertile seed—a major plus for an exotic grass, right? So why are other reed grasses—‘Karl Foerster’ aside—so underused? To answer that question is to understand the phenomenon of ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (C. × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’).

Native Range: Asia, Europe, Russia

Conditions: Full sun to light shade; moist, well-drained soil

Pests and Diseases: Foliar rust can be an occasional problem, but reed grasses are otherwise trouble-free.

Watch out: Korean feather reed grass can self-sow; reports vary from minimally to aggressively so. As with any exotic species, keep a lookout for seedlings, especially in moist, shady locations and along waterways.

Renowned German nurseryman Karl Foerster discovered this selection in a botanic garden in the 1930s—originally calling it ‘Stricta’—and introduced it in Germany in 1950. The cultivar, later renamed to honor him, reached the U.S. market in the 1960s, although I’m not certain which happened first. The popularity of ‘Karl Foerster’ was helped along by being one of the signature plants of the New American Garden—an exuberant meadowlike style created by Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden in the