Plant Finder

Other Names:  Purple Moor Grass

Description:

A great choice of ornamental grasses with its neat, clumping habit and upright, arching form; lovely, narrow panicles of dark purple flower spikes gracefully sway in the wind from mid-summer to frost; great in containers, as a garden specimen, or massed

Ornamental Features

Poul Petersen Moor Grass features airy panicles of deep purple flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid summer. The tan seed heads are carried on showy plumes displayed in abundance from late summer to early winter. Its grassy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Poul Petersen Moor Grass is an herbaceous perennial grass with an indistinguished habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Poul Petersen Moor Grass is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Poul Petersen Moor Grass will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Poul Petersen Moor Grass is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.