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Grass Like

Calamagrostis purpurea

Scandinavian small reed

A perennial grass with an upright habit, that forms dense tufts reaching up to 1.2m. It has narrow, linear, and smooth leaves and produces feathery, purplish plumes in summer

Synonyms

Calamagrostis purpurea subsp. phragmitoides
Calamagrostis phragmitoides

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Poaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Tufted
Genus: Calamagrostis are robust rhizomatous perennial grasses, forming tufts of linear leaves, with erect stems bearing dense branching flowering panicles in summer
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Subarctic & Subalpine

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in humus-rich but well drained soil in full sun. See Creating wildflower meadows for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by sowing seeds outdoors or divide in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildflower meadow
Wildlife gardens

Pruning

For more information see our page on how to cut back deciduous grasses

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

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