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Red Spire Melic Grass flowers

Red Spire Melic Grass flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Ornamental Features

Red Spire Melic Grass features bold spikes of burgundy flowers rising above the foliage from mid summer to mid fall. Its grassy leaves are green in color. The foliage often turns tan in fall. The indigo seed heads are carried on plumes from late fall to late winter.

Landscape Attributes

Red Spire Melic Grass is an herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cut back to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Red Spire Melic Grass is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Red Spire Melic Grass will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 32 inches. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 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 prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. 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.