Grass, Maiden Flame

Maiden Flame Grass brings sweeping, architectural presence to the sunny garden, its graceful arching clumps of narrow blades catching every breeze with a soft, rustling shimmer. Growing three to five feet tall, it becomes a bold focal point or a sweeping screen on a sunny slope, lending movement and rhythm to the landscape from midsummer onward. Pale feathery plumes emerge in late summer and persist beautifully into winter, when the seed-laden stems become a welcome resource for songbirds foraging through the cold months. It establishes readily in full sun with average moisture and needs very little attention beyond a single cutback in late winter to make room for fresh growth. Deer and rabbits reliably pass it by, and its tolerance for a range of soil conditions—including sites near black walnut trees—makes it broadly adaptable in the Midwest landscape. Plant it in generous masses where the plumes can catch the low light of a September afternoon.