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Miscanthus xgiganteusOne of the tallest ornamental grasses we offer, “giant Miscanthus” is a stalwart sterile performer that can’t self-sow. From magnificent upright clumps of wide green blades, flower stalks reach for the sky, bearing pink plumes that mature to silver. Hardy in Zones 4 – 9, it soars a majestic 10’!Naturally, not every garden setting can handle a grass of such stature. That’s why we grow a littler giant. Miscanthus Not-So-giganteusM. xg. Alligator (‘Lottum’) PP20348For gardens

We grow four varieties of blue Festuca, and one that’s rich dark green. The blue ones all have similarities, but also a key distinguishing attribute, subtle or obvious.Each has its fans who claim their favorite is the best. The Blues, after all, is (are?) a very personal thing. Festuca glauca Beyond Blue(‘Casca 11’) PP23307 The Great Beyond!This Dutch intro is a direct descendent of ‘Elijah Blue’. Years of patient selecting yielded this compact, summer stable form, famous on both sides of t

If there’s a sedge worth screaming about, it may just be ‘Ice Cream’.This garden confection’s winning recipe features minty green stripes alternating with creamy white stripes. Its neat, mounded, spherical habit completes the picture.But don’t keep it in a bowl. Serve it up in a decorative container, or sprinkled generously around the border. ‘Ice Cream’ stands a tidy 12” tall, and is hardy in Zones 6 – 9. And it won’t melt in sun or part shade.Order up a heaping helping of this cool Carex. No n

If there’s a garden grass that your average gardener knows by name, it’s ‘Karl Foerster’. This eponymous creation of the legendary plantsman was the first ornamental grass named Perennial Plant of the Year.Naturally, we know (and grow) lots more, but this is the one to know if you know only one. It’s famous worldwide for its beauty, adaptability and ease of culture.Prolific breeder and author Karl Foerster (1874-1970) introduced over 600 plants and wrote two dozen books. His breeding motto was “

We grow so much Pennisetum xadvena 'Rubrum' – bench after bench, whole greenhouses full of it – that we sometimes wonder where it all goes. And then we take a drive, anywhere in North America, and there it is!‘Rubrum’ is so well-known it barely needs an introduction. It’s that red-leaved annual grass you see everywhere you go: In big containers on Main Street, waving its burgundy blades and matching foxtail flowers in landscapes public and private, surrounding flagpoles, flanking entra