Calamagrostis brachytricha (Korean Feather Reed Grass)

Mature Height: 3-4’

Mature Spread: 2-3’

Hardy To: 6,500’

Water: Low

Exposure: Sun to Filtered Shade

Flower Color: Pinkish-Tan

Flower Season: Late Summer

Attracts: Birds

Resistant To: Deer

Description: Korean Feather Reed Grass is a warm season, clump-forming grass with stiff, upright foliage. It is accented by pink, cotton candy-like plumes in summer that fade to a creamy white for fall. Its seedheads provide food for birds and remain attractive throughout the winter. A native to the moist, deciduous woodlands of central to eastern Asia, Korean Feather Reed Grass does not perform well in locations with hot and humid nights. This plant is shade tolerant, a rare trait for such a large flowering grass, and it has a preference for soil that is consistently moist. It will adapt to any soil from sand to clay, and its tight clumps can remain in place for years. Under persistent drought conditions, this grass will go dormant and the leaf blades will begin to curl.

Care: Do not allow the soil to completely dry out. Divide in spring to propagate every 4-5 years or when plant vigor declines. Cut clumps back to just above the ground in late winter. You can cut clumps earlier, but we recommend leaving the seedheads through winter as food for birds and beauty for your winter landscape. Cut the plumes to add a feathery element to dried flower bouquets.