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Calamagrostis xacutiflora 'Karl Foerster' was the first ornamental grass to be named Perennial Plant of the year. It deserves the spotlight.Calamagrostis xacutiflora 'Karl Foerster'Whether it’s belting out a solo as a specimen, or harmonizing with the chorus in a mass, this “feather reed grass” makes a designer look like a genius. It’s at home on the big stage of a large landscape, or in more intimate settings.But our ensemble features other standouts. We grow seven taxa of this versatile genus.

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 “

Salvia nemorosa May Night ranks among the most famous names in all perennialdom. But that well-known name isn’t its real name: Technically, it’s ‘Mainacht’, which means the same thing in German.In either language, it’s prized for its long-flowering stands of deep purple-blue spikes. Way back in 1997 it won the prestigious Perennial Plant of the Year award from the Perennial Plant Association. May Night loves to flower so much, it demands extra attention in propagation to root and branch – an iss

Beyond 'Karl Foerster'It’s rank blasphemy to rank any ornamental grass higher than world-famous Calamagrostis xa. ‘Karl Foerster’. It is, after all, the first grass ever named Perennial Plant of the Year, and rightly so. It’s a handsome workhorse that makes a designer look like a genius. And it’s one of our top sellers. You won’t hear us dis it.But we WILL say there are other options in that very same species that give you Karl’s legendary reliability in a fresh, different look: Stripes!‘Eldorad

Huge potential exists from Perennial Plant Association (PPA) Perennial Plant of the Year™ winners that also happen to be natives, says John Friel, marketing manager for Emerald Coast Growers and a past PPA President. “Natives have been rediscovered. They’re very fashionable,” says John. “And when you add the assurance of the Plant of the Year recognition, you’ve got built-in sales appeal.” Some top picks: The 2011 Perennial Plant of the Year Amsonia hubrichti