To date, one of those purchases stands out from all the others. Her name is Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats to her friends) 'River Mist':
While it is still early in the plant's development, I can say it is already an absolute winner. The seedheads just recently emerged and they are fantastic:
And even better than the seedheads, is the beautiful variegated foliage on this ornamental grass:
Like the common Northern Sea Oats, 'River Mist' is shade tolerant and I have mine in a partial shade location (morning sun only). It just lights up in the afternoon shade and works well with others:
A few additional bits of info on this ornamental grass:
- Ultimate size is around 3' x 3' (mine is at about 2' since it was planted in March)
- Survives in zones 3-8
- Deer resistant
- Can handle wet soil (woo hoo) and even survive some standing water
- The seedheads will mature to a purple/bronze color later in the summer/fall
To truly evaluate a plant, it takes years to watch its development so 'River Mist' will be watched closely the next few years. My biggest concern is the reseeding over the winter and into next spring. That could be an issue.
For now, it is an absolute stunner.
