If you're looking for an easy-to-maintain plant, try variegated ribbon grass. It needs little care while adding color and texture wherever you plant it. Plus, it grows incredibly fast, making it a top choice for filling empty garden space. Variegated ribbon grass is hardy in USDA zones 4-9 and adapts to most growing conditions. However, it can become overly aggressive, so plant where you can keep it contained.
While this plant's narrow, lance-shaped foliage stays on the short side, it has a spreading habit that can give it the appearance of bamboo. The foliage adds movement to a garden as it gently sways in the breeze. Since this grass seldom blooms, it's most commonly grown for its foliage. If it does bloom, the flowers are insignificant, forming light and wiry panicles.
Two cultivars of variegated ribbon grass are available to home gardeners: Phalaris arundinacea 'Picta' and 'Feesey', both with green and white variegated leaves. Their care is the same; the difference between the two is that 'Feesey' has more white in its leaves and is the least invasive of the ribbon grasses.
Variegated Ribbon Grass Overview
Where to Plant Variegated Ribbon Grass
Vareigated ribbon grass is a lovely addition to the garden—as long as you keep it contained. It spreads underground by vigorous rhizomes, so it can be challenging to completely weed them out where they aren't wanted. The best locations for ribbon grass are in a container, around a garden pond, or in a woodland garden in zones 4-9. Select an area in partial shade with regular garden soil enriched with compost. The plant can tolerate full sun, but in hot areas, the leaves may scorch.
If you use variegated ribbon grass to stabilize riverbanks and other wetland areas, you could be introducing an invasive species that will quickly choke out native plants. Variegated ribbon grass is invasive in many states, particularly in the Midwest and northwestern United States. The plant is slightly less aggressive when grown in drier conditions, but it can still quickly take over a garden area if left unchecked. Check with your local agricultural extension before adding it to your garden.
How and When to Plant Variegated Ribbon Grass
Nursery-grown plants are the way to go with ribbon grass. In the spring, dig a hole in regular garden soil at the same depth as the nursery container and twice as wide. Use a shovel or trowel to loosen the soil in the hole. Remove the plant from its container and loosen the roots using your hands. Put the plant in the hole. Gather the leaf tips in one hand so they aren't buried as you backfill the hole. Press the soil with your hands and water the plant.
Variegated Ribbon Grass Care Tips
Variegated ribbon grass grows in a wide range of conditions and is a low-maintenance plant.
Light
Variegated ribbon grass thrives in all-day light shade and grows well in full sun in all but the hottest areas.
Soil and Water
Although variegated ribbon grass grows best in moist soil, it can grow in any condition from shallow standing water to dry, sandy clay.
Temperature and Humidity
Variegated ribbon grass is not particular about humidity. The plant can tolerate some cold, but it tends to stop growing or go dormant in summer heat and then start growing again in fall.
Fertilizer
When variegated ribbon grass is planted in regular garden soil, it needs no fertilizer. If the plant suffers leaf scorch in a full sun location, cut back the damaged leaves and apply a fertilizer with phosphorus to encourage new leaf growth.
Pruning
Cut back the plant in early summer to about 6 inches to encourage robust fall growth. Remove damaged leaves at any time of year.
Potting and Repotting Variegated Ribbon Grass
Variegated ribbon grass looks great in containers on the patio or in other outdoor sitting areas, either alone or paired with a few flowering plants. Use containers with good drainage and filled with regular garden soil that has been amended with compost. Repot in the same or a different container annually, refreshing the soil/compost mix.
Pests and Problems
Variegated ribbon grass is practically pest-free and disease-free. If it is grown in full sun in hot climates, its leaves may scorch, but that's about it.
How to Propagate Variegated Ribbon Grass
In spring or fall, lift a clump of variegated ribbon grass out of the ground using a shovel, being careful not to damage the plant's rhizomes. Cut the clump in half using a trowel or spade and carefully pull the two sections apart. Replant them immediately and water well.
Variegated Ribbon Grass Companion Plants
Black-Eyed Susan
Add a pool of sunshine to the garden with a massed planting of black-eyed Susan. From midsummer, these hardy native plants bloom their golden heads off in both sun and light shade, and they mix well with other perennials, annuals, and shrubs. Tall varieties look especially appropriate among shrubs, which in turn provide support. Add black-eyed Susans to wildflower meadows or native plant gardens for a natural look. Average soil is sufficient, but it should be able to hold moisture fairly well.
Perennial Sunflowers
Probably one of the most-loved flowers, sunflowers are a long-time favorite for borders and bouquets, thanks to their huge blossoms. While not quite as large as its annual cousin, the perennial sunflower makes up for what it lacks in size with loads of blossoms in late summer and into fall.
Iris
Named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, irises indeed come in a rainbow of colors and in many heights. All have the classic, intricate flowers, which are constructed with three upright ″standard″ petals and three drooping ″fall″ petals, which are often different colors. The falls may be ″bearded" or not. A number of cultivars bloom a second time in late summer. Some species prefer alkaline soil, while others prefer acidic soil.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long does variegated ribbon grass live?When its needs are met, variegated ribbon grass can live up to 20 years.
When its needs are met, variegated ribbon grass can live up to 20 years.
- How quickly does variegated ribbon grass spread?Variegated ribbon grass spreads by rhizomes. The speed at which it spreads depends on the growing conditions, but it averages 4-12 inches a year. The better the growing conditions, the faster the rhizomes spread.
Variegated ribbon grass spreads by rhizomes. The speed at which it spreads depends on the growing conditions, but it averages 4-12 inches a year. The better the growing conditions, the faster the rhizomes spread.