Meet the Northern Sea Oats

Northern Sea Oats | Chasmanthium latifolium

 

How do you know it’s me?:

  • I am a clump-forming, perennial grass.

  • I have flat, tiered seed heads that resemble oats. They emerge green and turn tan or purplish in summer to fall. They hang from my stems like crystals on a chandelier.

  • My alternate leaves are wide and long, with a look similar to bamboo. they turn a yellow-copper color in fall.

  • My green stems are round and smooth. They can be arched.

How big do I grow?: 2’ - 5’ height and 1’ - 2’ spread.

Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Part shade.

Where I prefer to put my roots: I prefer moist to occasionally wet soils, and grow naturally along bodies of water. I can tolerate some drought.

Hardiness: Zone 4-9.

Original home: I am native to the central and eastern North America.

Colors: Green to bronze or purplish seed heads, with some yellow fall color.

When I bloom: Summer to fall.

Wildlife friends: I am a larval host plant for some butterfly species and a food source for small mammals and birds.

Flora Fun Facts: I am one of the few native grasses that grows in well in shadier areas…though I prefer a few hours of sun throughout the day.

More Info: This ornamental grass is incredibly tactile, with graceful, arching stems, and clusters of seed heads that rustle in the softest of breezes. When backlit by sunlight, these blooms can create a golden aura around the plant.

  • A member of the Poaceae (grass) family.

  • A great grass selection for a rain garden, container, along a stream or pond, or in a naturalized area. This plant does tend to spread and may take over smaller gardens. My cut stems (with the seed heads) are a great addition to a flower arrangement.

  • This grass can be cut back to the ground in early spring.

  • Also called River Oats.

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