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Key characteristics

Family: Poaceae
Height: 12 to 18 inches
Width: 12 to 18 inches
Flower color: Pale white, airy panicles
Foliage color: Variegated green with creamy white and pink tinges
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low; trim back in early spring before new growth
Growing zone: USDA zones 4 to 9
Wildlife: Attracts birds and provides habitat for beneficial insects

Perennials

Deschampsia cespitosa 'Northern Lights'

Northern Lights Tufted Hair Grass

Deschampsia cespitosa 'Northern Lights' is a graceful ornamental grass known for its variegated foliage and delicate flower panicles. Its leaves are green with creamy white and pink accents, offering a soft, glowing effect in the garden. In late spring to early summer, the plant produces airy, silvery-purple flower heads that rise above the foliage, adding movement and texture as they sway gently in the breeze.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Late spring to early summer

Find this plant

Works well in

Borders
Cottage Gardens
Bird Gardens
Containers

Companion plants

Heucheras · Lady's mantle · Hellebores · Hardy geraniums · Hostas · Ferns

Design tip

Summer flowers carry the middle of the season, so place it where the bed needs color once spring bulbs fade. Because it is easy about light, use it to carry a planting from a sunny end of the bed into the shadier side.