Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'
Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' · Poaceae Popular
Gold-striped blades cascade in one direction like flowing water. One of the few grasses that thrives in shade, and slow to bulk up.
- Size
- 16 in tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 5 to 9
- Light
- Part sun to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Edging
A bed built around Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'
The planner designed this bed around Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) naturalistic planting in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' × 3, chartreuse leaves
- 2 Blue star creeper × 20, blue
- 3 Woodland phlox × 8, lavender
- 4 Cardinal flower 'Queen Victoria' × 4, red
- 5 Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert' × 3, white
- 6 Mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' × 1, blue
- 7 Yellow trout lily × 12, yellow
- 8 Snowdrop × 12, white
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- Part of the matrix. The low fabric of grasses and groundcovers that the taller plants come up through.
- A classic partner for cardinal flower 'Queen Victoria'. Both are on this plan. A pairing gardeners have proved outranks a general rule.
Why here
- In the middle. At 16 in it is the step between woodland phlox (12 in) in front and mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' (2½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
- Beside cardinal flower 'Queen Victoria'. A recognised partner: the planner puts such plants together where it can.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 9 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
- Stands through winter. Left uncut, it holds its shape until March, when the perennials have gone.
Planned as a naturalistic planting: low grasses and groundcovers, the matrix, make up 51% of the planted ground. Neither end outweighs the other: the visual weight is split 51 to 49, left to right. Blue star creeper is planted in four places along the bed, which gives it rhythm.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 6 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' goes in a border
At 16 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: edging. A low, neat plant used in short runs of three or five along the front to finish the edge (or, in a formal bed, in one even row).
Bright, arching and fine: the opposite of a hosta in every way, which is why the two are so often planted together. All the blades lean one way, so place it where it can spill over an edge.
- A gold waterfall at the front of a shady bed
- Softening the edge of steps or a path
- Containers in shade
What to plant with Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta: bold leaves against its fine ones; happy in the same moist soil.
- Bugleweed: adds the flowers, early May to late May; low enough (6 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Japanese painted fern: happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'
Does Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' need sun or shade?
Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light). It is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' grow in?
USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 16 in (40 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' look like in winter?
Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' turns the colour of straw and, left uncut, stands through the winter. Cut it down in late winter, before the new shoots come up.
More Hakonechloa
- Japanese forest grass Hakonechloa macra
- Japanese forest grass 'All Gold' Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold'
- Japanese forest grass 'Beni-kaze' Hakonechloa macra 'Beni-kaze'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Grass
- Size
- 16 in (40 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Fine texture, herbaceous; chartreuse, variegated
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Part sun, part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Poaceae
- Comes from
- Japan
- Stands up to
- Deer, deep shade, black walnut, pollution
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.