Don’t get us wrong: We love Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’, the first grass named Perennial Plant of the Year. It’s every bit as versatile as the polymath whose name it proudly bears.

‘Karl Foerster’ is one of those plants that makes a gardener or designer look like a genius. 

But the genus has a lighter side. To be more specific: Yipes! Stripes!

Calamagrostis xacutiflora

‘Overdam’

The original variegated form, ‘Overdam’ looks much like ‘Karl Foerster’, but with creamy white vertical stripes. Height: 3 – 4’.

Calamagrostis xacutiflora

Lightning Strike®

Wide central stripes of creamy white edged in rich green. An ECG exclusive, it’s a tad shorter than the others at just 3’. 

Calamagrostis xacutiflora

Hello Spring!™

This beautiful variegated form features crisp, uniform green and white stripes and a refined habit. Our own introduction! Height: 3 – 4’.

Backstory

Calamagrostis xacutiflora, as the “x” implies, is a hybrid of two species, commonly known as feather reed grass. Some clever plantsperson probably made the first cross, but it’s also been known to occur naturally in Europe, the genus’ native habitat. Bonus: It’s sterile and can’t self-sow. 

Earn your stripes! Get the award-winning performance of Calamagrostis xacutiflora with a twist: border-brightening variegation. It comes in two sizes: Beefy 38s, or bigger-than-most 72s. Best of all, it comes from Emerald Coast Growers – your easy choice!