Calamagrostis acut. Karl Foerster

Calamagrostis acut. Karl Foerster is a clump-forming deciduous ornamental grass prized for its strong, upright habit and long-lasting, vertical plumes. Tidy tufts of narrow green leaves are topped in early to midsummer by stiff, feathery flower spikes that open with a purplish-brown tinge, then mature to straw and stand well through autumn, lending structure and movement to mixed borders and narrow screening. It performs reliably in Irish gardens in full sun and moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Leave the stems for winter interest, then cut back to the base in late winter before new growth begins.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Full sun

Rate of Growth: Average

Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil

Hardiness: Fully hardy

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Plant at a Glance