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.