Purple Small-reed Calamagrostis canescens
Previously known as:
- Arundo canescens
- Calamagrostis calamagrostis
- Description
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Purple Small-Reed is a long-lived perennial grass that is native to Europe and Western Siberia. It is loosely clump forming and found in large swaths in salt marshes and wet habitats and can spread quickly by its shallow rhizomes. It is not commonly found in North or South America. Note that Calamagrostis brachytricha (Foxtail grass) is a good substitute for planting in the Southeastern United States.
A slender stem with no lateral branches holds a large, slightly nodding branched inflorescence, which has many tiny hairs that look like an eyelash. This inflorescence turns purple when in flower, giving the grass its common name. The inflorescence turns tan later in the season. The leaf blades are flat with entire margins and hold their shape well in winter.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Calamagrostis
- Species:
- canescens
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe to Siberia and Turkey
- Distribution:
- Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Caucasus, and western Asia.According to the USDA maps it does not appear in the US.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
- Perennial
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Caryopsis
- Fruit Description:
- Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- 3-6 inches
- Flower Description:
- The 2 to 7 inch flower is an open oblong shaped panicle, which is purple in late summer and turns tan as the season progresses.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Cream/Tan
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The flat, slender leaves have small hairs that create a rough texture. The 2 to 7 inch long leaves are a 1/4 inch wide and narrow to a point at its apex. At the base where the leaf and stem meet, there may appear a hair-like membrane (ligule).
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Pond
