Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'

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Key characteristics

Family: Poaceae
Height: 4 to 6 feet
Width: 2 to 3 feet
Flower color: Pink-purple tinged turning to blonde-tan
Foliage color: Green
Bloom time: May to September
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Average
Maintenance: Low; cut back old stems to 2 to 3 inches above ground level in early spring
Growing zone: USDA zones 4 to 9
Wildlife: Attracts birds; deer resistant

Perennials

Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'

Foerster's Feather Reed Grass

Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' originated in Europe and was named after the renowned German nurseryman Karl Foerster. It blooms in early summer, producing narrow, upright flower spikes that emerge a soft purplish-green before maturing to a golden wheat color by late summer. The vertical form and graceful movement of the flower plumes add both structure and softness to the landscape.

What makes 'Karl Foerster' stand out is its reliably upright habit, which resists flopping even after heavy rain, maintaining a tidy, architectural silhouette.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Average

Bloom time

May to September

Find this plant

Works well in

Borders
Cottage Gardens
Bird Gardens
Cut Flower Gardens

Companion plants

Foxgloves · Bergenias · Sedums · Columbines · Lungworts · Daylilies

Design tip

Use it as a steady framework plant, repeating it along a bed to tie separate plantings together. It takes sun or light shade, which makes it useful along the changing light of a bed edge or a partly shaded border.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)