Two varieties of Molinia are recent additions to the Burncoose website which have proved popular. Molinia are densely tufted perennial grasses that grow in the wild in damp moorland areas of Europe and Asia. Their attraction to gardeners is their habit and appearance, especially in autumn, and the fact that they are fully hardy, unlike some of the other genus of ornamental grasses.
M. caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Transparent' is a form of Purple Moor Grass with flat, linear, mid green leaves with purple bases. During the summer larges clusters of upright flower panicles appear. These can be 15 inches long and are topped with attractive purple spikelets. As autumn progresses the flowering stems become more yellow tinted so that gardeners can enjoy a long lasting display of yellow and purple.
M. caerulea subsp. arundinacea ‘Karl Foerster’ has even taller leaves (18 inches) and more arching flowering stems of purple spikelets. The tuffs of this grass create a wonderful foliage effect as the backdrop to a herbaceous border and in an open woodland setting.
Seeds collected in the autumn can be sown in a cold frame in the spring but established clumps are more easily lifted and divided in early spring.
(Images still needed)