previous
  • Fragrant Plants for Pathways
    Fragrant Plants for Pathways
  • Lawn Alternatives
    Lawn Alternatives
  • Homegrown / Homemade
    Homegrown / Homemade
  • Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
    Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
  • NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
    NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
  • Pretty in Pink
    Pretty in Pink
  • Elephant's Ears
    Elephant's Ears
  • Comfortable Alfresco Dining
    Comfortable Alfresco Dining
  • Designing with Curved Terraces
    Designing with Curved Terraces
  • Stylish Shady Containers
    Stylish Shady Containers
  • Mulch for a Healthy Garden
    Mulch for a Healthy Garden
  • Make a Succulent Topiary
    Make a Succulent Topiary
  • Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
    Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
  • Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
    Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
  • Dwarf Citrus Trees
    Dwarf Citrus Trees
  • Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
    Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
  • Thoughts From a Foreign Field
    Thoughts From a Foreign Field
  • Save Money by Growing Your Own
    Save Money by Growing Your Own
  • Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
    Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
  • Colorful Selections for Shade
    Colorful Selections for Shade
  • 6 Tips for Weed Control
    6 Tips for Weed Control
  • Building a Compost Bin
    Building a Compost Bin
  • Plants that Spark!
    Plants that Spark!
  • Containers as Focal Points
    Containers as Focal Points
  • In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
    In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
next

Molinia caerulea 'Variegata' (Variegated purple moor grass)


Be the first to rate this plant

Plant Showcase - from our advertisers


Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Botanical Name: Molinia caerulea 'Variegata' moe-LIN-ee-ah sir-EW-lee-ah Common Name: Variegated purple moor grass Genus: Molinia
This tufted, compact perennial has dense clumps of slender, foot-long green leaves marked with stripes of creamy yellow. In summer, slim, pale yellow flower stalks rise up 3 feet tall in an arching pattern. Each inflorescence holds well into the fall, turning a toasty tan.
Care: Native to moist lake shores, bogs, and grasslands, this grass flowers best in damp situations and can withstand acidic or alkaline soil. Flowering is scant in hot, dry regions.
Height 1 ft. to 3 ft.
Spread 6 in. to 12 in.
Growth Habit Clumps
Light Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture Medium Moisture
Characteristics Showy Foliage
Bloom Time Summer
Flower Color Yellow Flower
Uses Beds and Borders
Style Woodland Garden
Seasonal Interest Summer Interest, Fall Interest
Type Grasses

Plants you might also like

Deschampsia cespitosa 'Northern Lights' Deschampsia cespitosa 'Northern Lights'
(Tufted hair grass, Tussock grass)
(2 user reviews)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

A tuft of thin grassy foliage with gray and gold variegation distinguishes this cultivar. Early summer brings 3-foot-tall, airy plumes of tiny flowers that look beautiful when backlit by the sun. As fall approaches, the foliage turns golden with pink-coral tips. This grass even grows well in shadier sites. Plant in a border, woodland garden, or shaded rock garden.

Bouteloua gracilis Bouteloua gracilis
(Blue grama, Signal-arm grass, Mosquito grass)
Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Blue grama is a perennial grass from the Americas bearing unusually bent and flattened inflorescences. Being native to open grasslands, they are drought tolerant and at home in meadows. They provide the garden with shades of tan that persist throughout winter. 

Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea 'Sky Racer' Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea 'Sky Racer'
(Tall purple moor grass)
Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

'Skyracer' grows to about 3 feet wide and 2 to 3 feet wide, and in late summer to early fall, sends up delicate panicles to a height of 6 or 7 feet. This finely-textured ornamental grass is great for areas where you need height but don't have space for a wider, heavier plant. It works well in a sunny border but make sure you site it so you can see it closeup. Expect outstanding yellow color in fall.

Bouteloua gracilis 'Hachita' Bouteloua gracilis 'Hachita'
('Hachita' Blue Grama Grass)
(2 user reviews)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

'Hachita' has narrow, blue-green leaves that form dense mounds. In summer, elongated seedheads add visual interest. This tough, drought-tolerant grass thrives in sand or clay soil with full-sun exposure. It needs a setting with good drainage, as it won't thrive in wet conditions. -Scott Vogt, Native grasses, Fine Gardening issue #124

Festuca mairei Festuca mairei
(Atlas fescue)
Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This sturdy groundcover is fast becoming one of the most dependable grasses for creating drought-tolerant meadows. Clumping evergreen foliage is a rich khaki green and grows in an arching clump. The flowers, while noticeable, are not showy. Atlas fescue is at its best in groups and grows in all but hot, humid, and low desert climates.