Re: big variegated grass

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At 11:19 AM -0800 11/16/07, N Sterman wrote:

Lots of talk in my world about alternatives to pampass grass.  Little discussion about what to use in place of variegated pampass (which is supposed to be sterile but can be confusing for novices).  Any suggestions?

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Does it have to be variegated? If not, deergrass and calif. fescue are well-behaved (if less spectacular and much smaller) natives; and some of the large restios are dramatic and green. For bulk and presence and movement, look at some clumping bamboos -- Otatea does well here. For light-catching, mountain mahoganies (or clematis on a trellis) are without peer. For verticality, how about some corn plants? (or a sculpture, if it has to be changeless no matter what the season). Another good plant for movement is fairy wand.

I wouldn't frame the discussion as what to use "instead" of a noxious weed; if I were writing about this, I'd discuss the problems pampas grass causes, making its use in any new landscape a nonissue.

Tanya Kucak