Looking for something different in the world of ornamental grasses?
by
Douglas Hunt
Check out Panicum amarum "Dewey Blue." Grass guru Rick Darke selectively bred habitat-collected plants growing on a coastal Delaware sand dune to come up with this stunning blue-bladed grass. It has a graceful fountain habit, grows to about 4 feet tall and slowly spreads through its rhizome. In its native habitat-coastal areas from Louisiana to Connecticut-Panicum amarum (or bitter panic grass) plays an important role in dune stabilization. It is very drought-tolerant once established. You will probably have to seek it out from a mail-order nursery, but the one-gallon plants I planted last fall are already quite impressive.
"Dewey blue" in my front yard with Zamia floridana (coontie).
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