African Love Grass

An incredibly graceful and fine-textured grass that adds a touch of the exotic to the UK garden. It forms a dense, arching mound of very narrow, weeping, thread-like leaves that can reach up to a metre in length. In mid-summer, it produces large, delicate, nodding panicles of lead-coloured to olive-green flowers that shimmer in the breeze. These flower heads have an airy, almost misty quality that provides a wonderful contrast to bolder plants. Although native to Southern Africa, it is surprisingly resilient in well-drained UK gardens, especially in the south. It is at its most beautiful when planted on a bank or in a raised container where its long, hair-like foliage can cascade freely. It requires full sun and very well-drained soil to thrive and survive the winter. In autumn, the foliage often takes on attractive yellowish hues. It is deciduous and should be cut back hard in early spring before the new growth starts to emerge from the crown.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil.

Hardiness: H4 — down to −10°C.

Flowering: Jul, Aug, Sep.