Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass
Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
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Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass - Quart Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
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2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Sun
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateMedium
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Pollinator Friendly
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Pollinator Required
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Pruning Time
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Bloom PeriodSummer, Fall

Growing Zones 4-9
Stunning Accent Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass
- Bold Handsome Look
- Upright Growth Habit
- Strikingly Formal Accent Grass
- Great Cut Flower
- Adaptable & Fast Growing
- Cool Season Grass Variety
- Drought Tolerant & Deer Resistant
- 2001 Perennial Plant of the Year
Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster') is one of the world's most popular garden grasses. This handsome grass works hard in your landscape and asks for little in return.
These tall, narrow plants draw the eye as exclamation points. They are ideal for adding vertical definition to your landscape.
In late summer, they'll grow bold, blonde flower spikes. You'll love the gleaming sunlight shining on the developing seed heads. Each one rises above the strongly upright blades that grow straight up from the ground.
Use one Karl Foerster as an accent grass in a prominent place. Or, use multiple plants to create a featured focal point.
Feather Reed Grasses are nicknamed "motion grass" because it sways in the slightest breeze. The heavy fall seed heads of Karl Foerster bend and sway, to and fro in the breeze and whip back and forth in heavier wind. Their kinetic energy brings a dynamic element to your landscape design. Add one to your Garden of the Senses!
Easy to grow, this ornamental grass is known for its rugged yellow plumes and glossy, deep green leaf blades. The overall shape of Karl Foerster is quite formal and very attractive. They'll remain tall and straight even after heavy rains or winds.
As the seed heads mature in fall, they transition from bright yellow to mellow hues of gold and tan. These seed heads also provide a welcome source of food and shelter for local bird populations over the winter, so leave them standing until early spring.
With no serious pest or disease problems, it's easy to see why Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass was named Perennial of the Year in 2001. With its perpetual motion, formal plumes and lively growth habit, Karl Foerster is sure to keep you entertained throughout the seasons.
Add this wonderful ornamental grass to your landscape. You'll be enthralled by its handsome good looks. Order yours today!
How to Use Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass in the Landscape
Because this grass is very controlled and low maintenance, it is quite often used in commercial landscapes where you most often find it planted in mass or in narrow spaces as a fill plant.
Karl Foerster is a great low-maintenance plant. This versatile selection looks great in the garden border, as an effective background for perennial beds, massed together in perfect military precision, or used in a long, natural drift.
Want an easy focal point? Line the perimeter of a geometric planting bed with a low, evergreen Boxwood hedge. Then, fill the center with Karl Foerster planted 2 feet on center. This spectacular nod to ancient garden design feels very fresh and modern.
We recommend using one plant or using lots and lots of them together.
Add dash and flair to an old evergreen tree. Boost the excitement of a sunny bend in your garden path by using a single plant as an accent.
And why not plant that single plant in a large ornamental container? You'll easily elevate the look and inject your personal style through your design choices.
Add another container and flank them on either side of your front door for a very sophisticated look.
Use multiple Karl Foerster plants to reflect the sunlight, catch the breeze and create excitement to highlight changes in elevation or to ease transitions. Use along the path between two destinations.
Create a high-impact look along a walkway with a staggered double row planted in a zig-zag pattern. Yes, you could just use one plant deep, but why not be big? Be bold with this selection!
A wider double hedgerow really creates a statement. Even if you have to shorten up the planting to stay on budget, you'll appreciate how several Karl Foerster plants work together to create excitement.
Add another row or two to create a mass planting to fill a wide, bare spot. Keep the plants spaced two feet apart (measuring from center to center) for best performance. Like a disciplined army, a precise row of Karl Foerster reads like individual soldiers working in an effective team.
Can you imagine the Memorials or special remembrance spaces you could create using this plant? Add a bench and a special weeping flowering tree for a place you'll visit time and time again to pay tribute to your loved ones.
Or, create a natural look by changing the geometric, massed zig-zagged planting design into a long, skinny drift planting design. Simply taper either end down to a single plant. In the middle of your drift planting, create depth by doubling or tripling up the plants. Keep things loose and natural with curving lines in a naturalized drift.
Study the celebrated gardens of Piet Oudouf, a world-famous garden designer who makes Karl Foerster sing in these types of fantastic, long drifts. Use these ideas for your home landscape and enjoy!
The blooms are also popular as cut flowers and really make a great complement to a mixed-cut flower arrangement. Dry the stalks for a long-lasting winter display.
#ProPlantTips for Care
This hardy grass adapts well to a variety of soils and conditions. Unlike many Ornamental Grasses that self-seed, Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass does not produce viable seed, so you don't have to worry about it becoming invasive.
For best results, give these cool-season grasses a spot in full sun or partial shade. In hot, dry climates, the Karl Foerster benefits from a location with morning sun and late shade.
But too much shade can decrease the number of blooms and make the foliage floppy. This grass is a sun-lover.
Karl Foerster likes to be planted in well-drained soil. However, it is adapted to a wide range of soil conditions from somewhat wet to dry.
Once established, this grass is drought tolerant and very popular in low water, water-wise and xeriscape gardens. Include a 3 to 4-inch layer of mulch to keep roots cool and cut down on surface evaporation.
We recommend leaving the foliage and seed heads up all winter. Enjoy the winter interest delivered by this beautiful, award-winning grass. Leave those plumes up all winter long!
When you see the first, bright green blades appear in early spring, choose a nice day for your annual pruning task. Grab gloves and see if you can rope in a friend to help make it fun.
Grab a tarp or a few yard bags and a sharp garden saw. Gather all of last year's growth together and hold it in one hand.
Make long, even strokes with the saw in your other hand to saw through the whole clump right at ground level. Bag or compost the old foliage.
Enjoy the surge of new spring growth. Ornamental grasses are fun to watch all year long, from their lush summer foliage to the high impact of the golden flower stalks and seed heads in autumn. Even the buff, dry old growth sculpts the winter snow and adds interest.
Do a little or do a lot in your yard—but do something! Karl Foerster is a workhorse that performs beautifully in modern, rustic or formal design styles. Lean on this plant, he's up to the task. Order today at NatureHills.com!
Superior Architectural Variety
Commonly known as Feather Reed Grass, the Calamagrostis x acutiflora is a cross between a native Asian feather grass, Calamagrostis arundinacea, and a European native, Calamagrostis epigejos.
Though the hybrid happens naturally in the wild, the Karl Foerster selection was discovered in the Hamburg Botanical Gardens in the 1930's by German Nurserymen Karl Foerster and named in his honor. Karl Foerster' Calamagrostis was introduced in 1950.
The Calamagrostis is noted for its wide adaptability to different soil types and climates, as well as its almost year-round beauty in the landscape.
Best known for it's use in prairie plantings done by famed plantsman and garden designers, Wolfgang Oehme and James van Swede. They used sweeps of this erect grass to great effect, creating a sculptural experience for visitors to their gardens.
The California Department of Water Resources, Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) list has this plant rated at MEDIUM TO LOW water use. This qualifies the Calamagrostis for use in areas where plants with average to infrequent watering needs are desired. They are ideal for using in swales or in berm plantings or for erosion control.