General Culture:
Easily grown in average, medium moisture soils in part shade to full shade. Prefers moist rich soils. Naturalizes by slender, creeping rhizomes and can form dense colonies in optimum growing conditions.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
Diarrhena is a Missouri native perennial grass which typically grows 2-3' tall and occurs in rich, moist woods, along streams and at the base of limestone bluffs in the southern part of the State. Features erect to arching, shiny, narrow, bright green blades (1/4 to 3/4" wide) which gradually turn golden in fall and then tan in winter. Flowers with insignificant greenish coloring (anthers are yellowish) appear in drooping, few-flowered panicles (4-12" long) on stems rising above the foliage in summer. Flowers give way in mid to late summer to hard, brown seed heads. Each seed is tapered to a blunt beak, thus giving rise to the sometimes used common names of American beakgrain or beak grass.
Problems:
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses:
A tough, spreading ornamental grass for shady areas. Mass in woodland areas, shade gardens, slopes, naturalized areas or native plant gardens.
© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2010
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