George Papadelis
Hakonechloa macraTerra Nova Nurseries
‘All Gold’

by George Papadelis

Ornamental grasses have become increasingly popular. Few plant groups can provide winter interest, ease of care, versatility, and an enormous palette of various heights, colors, and flowers. When most people think of ornamental grasses, they imagine the classic sun-tolerant perennial species like maiden grass (Miscanthus), switch grass (Panicum), fountain grass (Pennisetum), or feather reed grass (Calamagrostis). However, many gardeners are not familiar with the more diminutive, shade-tolerant species. Lily turf (Liriope), sedge (Carex), and hakone grass (Hakonechloa) grow in shade or part shade and offer many of the same qualities as the traditional sun-loving grasses.

The Japanese native hakone grass has glossy, soft leaves that grow upright and then cascade or “waterfall” horizontally. This effect lends itself very well for use on slopes or as an edging plant. The slow-spreading clumps are not invasive. In fact, full pots of hakone grass can be difficult to find at your local garden center. High quality plants typically draw a premium price compared to other ornamental grasses. Young plants often disappoint the impatient gardener during the first season or so. However, two or three years in moist, well-drained, and fertile soil will yield lush mounds of beautiful leaves. Hakone grass turns pinkish-red each fall, then bronze, then tan during winter dormancy. The blowing, rustling leaves are pleasant all winter long until early spring when plants should be cut down to about an inch or two tall. The fresh foliage returns by late May.

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener
‘Aureola’ Hakonechloa has no major insect or disease problems that would warrant concern. In my yard, however, rabbits feast on the spring leaves and can delay the anticipated display of an established plant. The application of an effective animal repellent can solve that problem.

Four different types of hakone grass are available and all grow about 12 inches tall. In my opinion, the species Hakonechloa macra is very underused. It has shiny, bright green leaves that work well with almost any other foliage color or texture. The popular H. macra ‘Aureola’ has gold and green leaves that glow in the shade from spring until fall. The cultivar ‘All Gold’ clearly describes its primary attributes. ‘Albo-striata’ is rarely available but has green and white bicolored leaves.

All Hakonechloas bring a beautiful texture to the shady garden that looks best when contrasted with other foliage. Ferns have fine-textured leaves that look gorgeous up against the long, linear leaves of hakone grass. The large, bold leaves of hostas are equally excellent companions. Try a blue hosta with the gold leaves of either  ‘Aureola’ or ‘All Gold’ hakone grass. Or perhaps try gold hosta with the green leaves of H. macra. The popularity of lace-leaf, red Japanese maples gives many of us an opportunity to underplant with the vibrant leaves of a gold hakone grass.

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener
Hakone grass is a great perennial for the shade. Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ is shown here with a hosta and variegated pachysandra.

Keep in mind that there are hundreds of flowering perennials for shade, many of which are underused. Foliage plants will usually create the foundation or backbone of the shady perennial bed. Like hostas and ferns, I can’t imagine a shady garden without hakone grass.

George Papadelis is the owner of Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy, MI.

 

Try this combination

One of the most beautiful (and useful) late summer-blooming perennials for shade is plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides). This slow-spreading groundcover is covered with fluorescent blue flowers from late July until fall on 8- to 10-inch tall plants. When temperatures drop in late September and October, the plants continue to flower but the leaves turn a lovely russet red. This plant is perfect alongside a mound of hakone grass.

At a glance: Hakone grass

Botanical name: Hakonechloa macra (ha-kone-ee-KLO-uh MAK-ruh)

Plant type: Perennial grass

Plant size: 12 inches tall, 12-18 inches wide

Habit: Layers of cascading foliage

Hardiness: Zone 5

Leaf color: Bright green or yellow; yellow, white, green variegations

Leaf size: 10 inches long, 1/2 inch wide

Light: Partial shade to shade

Soil: Moist, fertile, well-drained

Uses: Slopes, edging, shade garden, containers

Companion plants: Hostas, ferns, plumbago

Remarks: Pinkish red fall color, bronze color in winter. Cascading habit makes them great for slopes or edging. Takes 2 to 3 years to establish.

George Papadelis
Hakonechloa turns from pinkish-red to bronze, then finally to tan in the winter.

www.monrovia.com
‘Dark Knight’by George Papadelis

When fall approaches, many gardeners believe it’s time to hang up the trowel and bring an end to another growing season. Fall, however, offers us many opportunities to enhance our landscape. Most plants allocate their energy to developing strong root systems in the late season. This, along with the cooler, less stressful growing conditions, makes fall an ideal time to plant. Cooler weather also means more comfortable temperatures for garden “work.” The ever-expanding palette of late-season annuals like flowering kale, flowering cabbage, dianthus, dahlias, petunias, verbenas, and so many more are increasingly available to brighten flowerless voids and refurbish tired window boxes. Let’s not forget pansies and bulbs. Fall-planted pansies will often bloom until the holidays and then begin blooming again early next spring.

Jonathon Hofley / Michigan Gardener
‘Worcester Gold’Besides the popular garden mum, there is also an enormous selection of late-season perennials that are often underused. The list of shade lovers includes anemones, toad lilies (Tricyrtus), perennial lobelia, snakeroot (Actaea or Cimicifuga), yellow wax bells (Kirengeshoma), certain hostas, and many, many more. The list of late-season bloomers for sunny locations is even longer and includes blue mist spirea (Caryopteris), a reliable performer and a beautiful addition to the autumn landscape.

Most blue mist spireas grow about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, and have powdery blue flowers. Tight, one-inch clusters of tiny blue flowers develop in profusion along woody stems. Flowering lasts from mid-August well into October. The fragrant foliage of the more common varieties is a silvery blue-green, but others may be gold or green and white variegated. They thrive in any well-drained soil and prefer full to part sun. They flower on new wood, so pruning the plant in early spring to about 6 inches should yield excellent results.

Most plants that are referred to as “perennials” have stems that die down to the ground every winter. Blue mist spirea, however, is like lavender, butterfly bush (Buddleia), roses, and Russian sage (Perovskia); it develops woody stems that, to at least some extent, stay alive through the winter. In a severe winter, these stems can suffer, but a few inches of soil mounded directly over the plant’s crown in late November will insulate it. This discourages severe temperature fluctuations and reduces damage from drying winds. In spring, simply remove the soil from the plant’s base. When the new growth becomes apparent, prune away the dead stems. Additional pruning may be necessary to shape the plant and/or control its size. This same technique works well for roses, butterfly bush, Russian sage, lavender, and other vulnerable woody plants.

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener
‘Dark Knight’Blue mist spirea is usually propagated by rooting soft tip cuttings. Some gardeners, however, will be rewarded with seedlings that develop at the base of the plant. Pollinated flowers will produce seed that is very viable but also variable. When these grow to a few inches tall, they can be transplanted to a permanent location and evaluated for potential future use.

Two readily available varieties are ‘Longwood Blue,’ with light blue flowers and gray-green leaves on plants that grow about 3 feet tall, and  ‘Dark Knight,’ which boasts similar but deeper blue flowers on slightly taller plants.

Jonathon Hofley / Michigan Gardener
‘Worcester Gold’For beautiful golden foliage, ‘Worcester Gold’ is wonderful from spring until fall. It also has blue flowers in August and September on 3-foot tall plants. A newer gold cultivar called ‘Sunshine Blue’ has even more intensely gold foliage on 3-foot tall plants. Its amethyst blue flowers in August and September glow against its attractive foliage.

‘Snow Fairy’ is the first variegated leaf selection. It has brightly variegated green and white foliage that alone warrants the use of this plant. It produces clear blue flowers, and grows taller, to about 4 feet. Two new blue varieties include ‘Grand Blue,’ with dark blue flowers above dark green leaves on plants that only grow 2 feet tall and wide, and ‘First Choice,’ which produces rich, cobalt blue flowers on a more freely branching, compact plant that is just less than 3 feet tall.

Companion plants

www.parkseed.com
‘Longwood Blue’The flowers of blue mist spirea make a wonderful companion to other late season perennials and annuals. Most ornamental grasses are at their peak in September and may offer a perfect backdrop. Switch grass (Panicum) has erect, green to blue-gray stems and leaves topped by sprays of burnished bronze seedpods. Several varieties offer heights ranging from 3 to 7 feet tall, but ‘Shenandoah’ or ‘Heavy Metal’ would be the best Caryopteris partners. Shorter maiden grass (Miscanthus) like ‘Adagio’ and ‘Little Nicky’ offer silvery or pink flower plumes that blow in the wind. Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis) like ‘Karl Foerster’ offers stiff, wheat-colored plumes in June that last for almost a year on 4- to 5-foot tall plants. Fountain grass (Pennisetum) grows about 3 feet tall and produces fluffy, bottlebrush flowers of burgundy, beige, or black. All of these ornamental grasses are outstanding perennials to grow with a blue mist spirea. More importantly, each fall, ornamental grasses leave behind beautiful faded plants that last throughout the winter. These tan mounds of leaves and flowers provide even more interest when sprinkled with fresh snow or covered in glistening ice.

For a flowering blue mist spirea companion, you have many choices. Mums and fall-blooming asters come in an enormous color range and grow as low as 12 inches to as tall as 3 or 4 feet. The gold to orange flowers of Helen’s flower (Helenium) stand atop erect plants growing 3 to 4 feet tall. The goldenrod (Solidago) cultivar ‘Fireworks’ offers airy sprays of tiny yellow flowers that last throughout September. Windflower (Anemone) will thrive in sun or shade and produces masses of pink or white flowers to accent your blue mist spirea blooms.

Autumn is a great opportunity to spruce up flowerbeds and begin planning for next year’s garden. Plant some spring-blooming bulbs, think about trying some pansies, and don’t forget those mums. With these and the myriad of fall bloomers, all of us should have a spectacular September garden. A plant like blue mist spirea adds some excitement to our palette of late-season choices.

George Papadelis is the owner of Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy, MI.

 

At a glance: Blue mist spirea, bluebeard

Botanical name: Caryopteris (ca-ree-OP-tur-iss)

Plant type:Perennial

Plant size:2-4 feet tall and wide

Habit:Rounded bush

Hardiness:Zone 5

Flower color:Various shades of blue, from light to dark

Flower size:1-inch clusters

Bloom period:Late summer to fall

Leaf color:Gray-green, gold, white & green variegated

Light:Sun to partial sun

Soil:Well-drained

Uses:Perennial border

Companion plants:Medium-sized ornamental grasses, late-blooming perennials such as Helen’s flower, goldenrod, windflowers 

Remarks:Stems dieback depending on the severity of the winter (similar to Russian sage and butterfly bush). Blooms on new wood, so prune in early spring.