Plant Image Data Base
Phalaris
arundinacea picta
Ribbon Grass or Gardener's Garters
(Poaceae [also known as Gramineae] - Grass Family)
Form
- small- to medium-sized perennial ornamental grass or tall
non-traditional groundcover
- 1' tall in full sun, 1.5' tall in partial sun, and up to 3' tall in
partial shade, spreading continuously at its perimeter to form a dense
groundcover
- procumbent mat growth habit
- slow to medium growth rate (at the perimeter of its spread)
Culture
- full sun to partial shade
- best performance occurs in moist, well-drained soils in partial sun, but
very tolerant of poor soils, sandy soils, dry soils, wet soils, and full
sun
- propagated by division of the clump in Spring
- Grass Family, with virtually no disease or pest problems
- moderately available in container form
- like other ornamental grasses, there is a need to shear the dead top
growth back to the ground in early Spring to allow the new growth to
emerge unhindered, but unlike most ornamental grasses, the chore is
relatively easy to perform and clean up, as the dead stubble is not thick
nor stiff, and is easily bagged or composted
- invasive by underground rhizomes, which need to be periodically culled
from the edge of the planting to maintain the grass within its designated
boundary (alternatively, placement of a deep plastic edging along its
boundary, or planting the grass within a large plastic pot [with holes in
the bottom] sunk into the ground, will greatly assist in restricting it to
a given space)
- if the foliage becomes sun scorched in mid-Summer, simply mow or trim it
to the ground, lightly fertilize and irrigate, and fresh new growth will
emerge within two weeks
- occasional non-variegated green-foliaged reversions need to be
immediately rouged (removed by digging) from the clump, as these sports
will be more vigorous and taller, and eventually take over from the
slightly weaker, variegated form
Foliage
- lanceolate to narrow ovate leaves emerge briefly with pink and white
variegation, but quickly change to longitudinal stripes (or ribbons) of
green and white variegation as they expand (hence the common names of
Garden's Garters, resembling striped garters or suspenders, or Ribbon
Grass)
- alternate along the vertical stems, wrapping around the thin stems in a
sessile manner (with no petioles), with the blades arching at maturity
- moderate to severe scorching occurs in mid-to late Summer if heat and
drought have been moderate or severe
- foliage turns a tan color with frost, and slowly withers back to the
ground throughout the Winter
Flowers
- rare or sparse, white to pink, in June and July, on a 2' stalk
- not overly ornamental, and often sparse or not present at all
Fruits
- small grains hidden within the fruiting stalk, rare and ornamentally
insignificant
Twigs
- the thin stems often become procumbent (leaning) during the Summer
Trunk
ID Summary
- the vertically striped, green-and-white variegated foliage of the
ornamental groundcover/grass matures to about 1.5' or shorter when sited
in sunny locations, is invasive, and often scorches in the heat and
drought of mid-Summer
Function
- focal point short ornamental variegated grass, forming a dense mat of tall
groundcover in sunny or partially shaded sites
- often sited at entranceways, borders, foundations, raised planters, and
near or at the edge of bodies of water, typically in mass plantings where
the variegated foliage effect is most dramatic
Texture
- medium texture
- thick density
Assets
- wet-site adaptable
- dry-site adaptable (but usually with the liability of leaf scorch)
- showy variegated grass with a relatively low, spreading, groundcover habit
is virtually unique in the landscape for sunny spots
Liabilities
- invasive growth by underground rhizomes
- prone to Summer leaf scorch when sited in full sun
Habitat
- zones 4 to 9
- native to Europe and North America
Variants
- Phalaris arundinacea picta (often listed as Phalaris arundinacea
'Picta') is the standard variegated form sold in the nursery trade;
cultivars differ in variegation color or dwarf habit, but have rare
availability
Purpose
- Ribbon Grass is a variegated short ornamental grass and dense groundcover
for sunny sites, but a somewhat unkempt grass in partial shade.
Summary
- Phalaris arundinacea picta is known as an ornamental grass often
used as a tall groundcover in full sun to partial shade, having striped
variegated foliage that forms a solid dense mat.
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