Ideas for a slope

Feather Reed Grass

Calamagrostis

Calamagrostis x acutiflora ( Feather Reed Grass )
A group of showy cool season grass hybrids which in mild climates may be either evergreen or deciduous depending upon severity of the winter. They are grown for their showy plumes however often also carry attractive foliage.
Feather Reed Grass prefers well drained soil but is tolerant of anything from sandy soil to wet clay as well as drought, flood, heat, salt, wind & deer. Hardy zones 3 to 7 ( mulch during winter in zones 3 and 4 ). It thrives in full sun to partial shade but needs a somewhat breezy location to discourage mildew fungus that occasionally may occur. Clumps should be cut back to 6 inches during late winter to allow room for new growth...cutting back earlier may cause damage by exposing the crown to severe winter temperature extremes. Propagation is from division preferrably during mid-autumn or early spring. If divisions are small ( 6 or less growing points ) they may take more than a year to produce plumes.

Avalanche
Similar to Overdam but with leaf blades white in the center with narrow green margins. It is also taller with foliage clumps reaching up to 5 feet x 51 inches.
The foliage emerges very early in spring.
Silvery tan plumes contrast the foliage. An exceptionally attractive plant that is hardy from zone 2 to 7

Karl Foerster ( Foerster Reed Grass )
Clumps of early emerging green foliage up to 26 inches in height constrasts well with stiff, upright, fluffy white flower spikes in early summer that later ripen into tan color seed heads that remain attractive well into winter. Total size of plant including plumes is up to 6 or very rarely 8.5 feet in height and 4 feet in width. This hybrid does not produce viable seed therefore is not invasive. The Foerster Reed Grass is spectacular whether single or massed when used creatively.
Hardy zones 3 to 7

* photo taken on August 2 2010 in Bayfield, Ontario


* photo taken on August 3 2010 in Stratford, ON


* photos taken on August 6 2010 in Windsor, Ontario





* photos taken on Aug 3 2012 in London, ON

Overdam
Similar to karl Foerster but with extremely attractive foliage up to 3.3 feet in height. New foliage has bright golden yellow margins that quickly fade to white sometimes flushed pink that constrasts well with the rigidly erect golden plumes. Fast growing and reaches up to 6 x 4 feet including the Plumes.

Stricta
Rich green foliage clumps to 4 x 3.5 feet with are topped with strongly vertical yellowish plumes up to 7 feet in height that appear in June and turn to golden-brown by summers end. The foliage is narrow and fine-textured.

Calamagrostis brachytricha ( Korean Feather Grass )
Also called Achnatherum brachytricha. Clumps of rich green grassy foliage up to 42 x 52 inches in size are later complimented by puffy, rosy-purple upright plumes ( 10 inch plume length ) up to 5 feet in height that turn cinnamon color while persisting through the winter months.
Native to central and eastern Asia. Prefers moist, well drained soil in sun or partial shade. Hardy zones 4 to 9 and is very heat and drought tolerant.

* photo taken on March 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum