Before You Go — Hakonechloa — Softening Texture and Color in the Shade

by Mark Dwyer

WhenI’m designing, viewing or simply enjoying a shadier garden, I’m always smitten by the impact that Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra has in these spaces. Hardy in USDA zones 5-9, this slow spreading, gracefully arching and frequently colorful grass is best grown in humus-rich, consistently moist and well drained soils. The cascading foliage of this textural garden contributor, also called Hakone grass, is ideal for slopes, draping over rocks, wall and path edges and even in containers. As a “collective groundcover” of multiple plants or as a singular accent peppered and repeated throughout the shadier garden, long-lived Hakone grass pulls its visual weight in any appropriate setting.

Native to areas of Japan including in proximity to Mt. Hakone (hence the genus and common names), this grass now has over a dozen varietal selections and counting. The straight species (green form) is the tallest (hardy to zone 4) in reaching 30” with the golden and variegated forms typically hovering at 15-18”. All selections slowly spread to create a patch but are never problematic. This grass can tolerate a great degree of shade. Ideally, however, some degree of sunlight should be available to maximize the coloration of the brighter selections like the more common ‘All Gold’ (solid gold foliage) and ‘Aureola’ (gold and green variegation). Again, con- sistent moisture is paramount for success as dry conditions combined with summer heat will adversely affect this grass. Too much direct sun may also burn the foliage. Avoid poorly drained soils and consider partial shade as the priority for placement.

I’ve grown every selection of Hakonechloa macra currently in commerce and they all have their value in the garden. Winter coloration for Hakone grass is a buff brown but they don’t have much winter rigidity when snow arrives. The selections ‘All Gold’ and ‘Sunflare’ (streaks of burgundy foliage) offer the best golden coloration which becomes more chartreuse in deeper shade. The classic ‘Aureola’, ‘Stripe it Rich’, ‘Sunny Delight’ and ‘Albostriata’ are excellent for prominent variegation and the compact ‘Fubuki’ offers a crisp white variegation. The differences in variegation between varieties is subtle to be sure. Additional green foliage selections, such as ‘Nicolas’ and ‘Beni-kaze’, exhibit increasingly more colorful red, orange and gold tones as fall approaches. The variety ‘Naomi’ has a creamy yellow variegation but gets some interesting purplish-red tones late in the season. While the late, inconspicuous flower “spikelets” on all selections aren’t overly interesting, the fall tinting (variable) is a nice touch and extends until the hardest of frost.