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Ornamental Grasses

picture of my 'hakone' grass for ID purposes

18 years ago

Thanks for all the suggestions on this grass on how to care for it. I don't really think it's the ribbon grass, because mine is shorter than my neighbor's ribbon grass, and the ribbon grass around here is starting to look burned up and this grass still looks fine. It's topped out at around just a little shorter than knee high, still has good color, even though it's been dry here, and it doesn't have any kind of seed heads or flowers, if that helps in identification.

Here is a link that might be useful: bengal tiger canna and hakone grass

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Comments (5)

rivers1202
18 years ago
Well, here are 2 pictures I snagged off the web. One is ribbon grass, and the other white-striped hakone grass.

Hakone grass
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Ribbon grass
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I compared the pics., and I think your grass looks more like the above pic. of ribbon grass.
The hakone has more of a yellowish tinge in the striping than the ribbon grass.
They're both attractive grasses.
rivers1202
18 years ago
Here is the pic. from the link sandy provided, so y'all can compare it with the pics. I posted without having to leave the page. Am I alone in thinking this looks like ribbon grass, and not hakone?
sandy, hope you don't mind that I posted your picture directly.

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pezhead
18 years ago
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sandy0225
Original Author
18 years ago
You guys are right, it does appear to be the ribbon grass. I guess my trading partner didn't know either. Anyway, that solves a problem for me, because I KNOW that ribbon grass will overwinter here with no problems and no mulch. So that is great!
One thing, I can't figure out why it doesn't look ratty like everyone else's.It's not been cut at all, not even trimmed, ever since I got it last fall and put it into the greenhouse. It's just not burning up like my neighbors" ribbon grass, so that threw me off. Maybe it's because it's from Texas. Maybe it thinks this climate in Indiana is cool and wet next to there! Of course though, it's been 90 degrees every day here and we are 6 inches short on rain for the summer, so that really doesn't sound all that different than Texas.
Thanks so much for solving my overwintering problem!
rivers1202
18 years ago
Sandy, it could just be that you have better growing conditions for the grass, than do your neighbors. My mother and I have the same kind of variegated liriope, growing in similar part-shade conditions, yet mine is much more lush than hers is. The difference is in the soil, we believe. Her liriope looks so ratty that she has considered getting rid of it.

So, you must have planted your grass in the perfect spot and it's happy! : )

Renee

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