Golden Japanese Forest Grass

Golden Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola') is a beautiful variegated ornamental grass and slow-growing perennial and is one of the rare grasses that thrive in shady conditions. It has arching, lance-shaped, bright-green leaves about 10 inches long. Flower stalks emerge in the latter half of summer, producing non-showy flowers that become an attractive rust or orangey bronze color in the fall. This grass forms dense spreading mounds up to about 18 inches high and 24 inches wide. Wikipedia This is a very good spreading ornamental grass for a ground cover in shady areas or as an accent in woodland gardens. Its vibrant green-and-gold leaves help brighten dark areas, and it blends well with blue-flowered plants such as Jacob's ladder or blue-leaved hostas. While it is best planted in spring, it can also be planted in the fall. This image was taken at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.