Calamagrostis x acutiflora Lightning Strike®
Blooming Time
June
July
August
September
Exposure
Full Sun
Light Shade
This lovely cool season grass features striking vertically streaked leaf blades of emerald and white. Deciduous, but sturdy, Lightning Strike® can be left up all winter then trimmed down in March, and by mid-April is springing out of the ground. And, by early summer it is sending up stems that bear feathery purple plumes, which last long and eventually age to golden brown- for interest during the wintertime. A medium sized grass that survives in full sun, Lightning Strike® works well en masse and edging walks and borders.
Details
Hardiness Zone:
4
Blossom Color:
Violet to Purple
Growth Habit:
Clump Forming
Max Height:
3'
Texture:
Fine Texture
Recommended Spacing:
1½' to 2'
We sell this plant in these containers:
Special Characteristics
Cuttings
Seasonal Effect
Moderate Area
Salt Tolerant
Drought Tolerant
Large Area
Deer Resistant
Sandy Soil Tolerant
Controls Erosion
Features
Striking vertically streaked leaf blades of emerald and white, topped with feathery purple plumes in early summer.
Landscape Value
Works well en masse and for edging walks and borders.
Care
Watering:
Lightning Strike® Feather Reed Grass is very drought tolerant and typically only needs watering during the hottest days of summer.
Fertilizing:
Lightning Strike® Feather Reed Grass is a moderate feeder, benefiting from a couple of annual applications of slow release fertilizer. A spring application of a 3-1-2 ratio (such as a 15-5-10) can be applied at a rate of about 10 pounds per 1000 square feet, and during early fall, an application of a 2-1-2 ratio (such as a 10-5-10) can be applied to encourage root development and cold hardiness.
Pruning:
Lightning Strike® Feather Reed Grass should be enjoyed all winter long, then, during early April before it begins to grow again, it should be pruned or mowed back to ground level.
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