| Two dozen grass species from the mountains of Europe include several superb garden ornamentals. Handsome, hardy, adaptable and noninvasive, they make good ground covers, and nicely fill in bare stretches beneath trees and shrubs. Fine for a meadow, but not for the foot traffic of lawns or paths. All are cool-season evergreens. Narrow, upright bright green blades of Sesleria autumnalis (Autumn Moor Grass) form tidy mounds 1 to 1½ feet high. Dainty silver-gold flower spikes sway in the wind and fade gradually through summer and fall. Clump-forming, slow-spreading Sesleria caerulea (Blue Moor Grass) features eye-catching bicolored leaves -- with emerald upper sides and bluish-white undersides -- and violet flower tufts in spring. They tolerate a wide range of conditions, but do best in an open spot with fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Frost-hardy. Stay fresher-looking with partial shade and occasional water, though all are fairly drought-tolerant. |
This small-growing, fine-textured grass forms noninvasive tufted mounds that are hardy as a ground cover under trees and shrubs and attractive enough for the garden or the perennial border. Subtle flower spikes emerge purplish, turn brown, and remain through winter. Very easy to grow.
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Attributes - Sesleria autumnalis
Plant Type: Grass
Bloom Season: Mid Spring through Early Fall
Flower Color: Purple
Foliage: Evergreen
Height: 1 ft. to 1 ft. 6 in.
Width: 1 ft. 6 in.
Sunlight: Full Sun
Climate: Zones 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Notes: Thrives in Acid Soil, Alkaline Soil, Dry Climates. Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance.
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