Helictotrichon sempervirens Blue oat Grass,

Description

Tightly rolled, blue-grey leaves form a neat mound, crowned with upright golden spikelets in summer. This grass is also evergreen, which means minimal maintenance. Although it will tolerate some shade, it is prone to rust if it gets too wet. Helictotrichon looks very natural growing alongside Mediterranean-style plants. Try it in a gravel border, where its colour is beautifully offset by the honey tones of the stones, and give it room to express itself.

Helictotrichon evergreen grasses, forming compact tussocks of linear leaves, with erect or arching stems bearing panicles of flowering spikelets in summer

D

H. sempervirens is a dense tufted evergreen grass with rather rigid blue-grey leaves to 23cm in length. Small, straw-coloured spikelets are borne in large open panicles on erect stems to 1.4m in height

Position: full sun or partial shade

Soil: well-drained, poor to moderately fertile, preferably alkaline soil

Rate of growth: average

Flowering period: June and July,

Soil: Almost any soil, grows well in
Flowers: May, June, July, August
Other features:  Intence Blue
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Habit: Clump forming, tufted
Foliage: Evergreen
Height: 120 – 150 cm (4 – 5 ft)
Spread: 60 – 90 cm (2 – 3 ft)
Time to full growth: 2 to 5 years
Plant type: Grass like, Herbaceous Perennial
Colour: Green, blue
Goes well with: Achillea and Aster. Stipa gigantea, Pennisetum orientale. Mediterranean plants – Lavendula, Nepeta.