Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Ornamental Features

Variegated Moor Grass is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. The purple seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from early to late fall. Its attractive grassy leaves emerge chartreuse in spring, turning green in color with showy gold variegation. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous gold in the fall. It features dainty spikes of gold flowers rising above the foliage from mid to late summer.

Landscape Attributes

Variegated Moor Grass is an open herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cut back to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Variegated Moor Grass is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Variegated Moor Grass will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.