red tussock grass
Chionochloa rubra
RHS AGM 2012
USDA zones7 to 10
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size3 to 4 feet tall3 to 4 feet wide
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Brown
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Red tussock grass (Chionochloa rubra) is a grass for borders and low maintenance gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 7, or down to 0°F (-18°C). This plant likes full or part sun and average to moist, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. Its narrow blades are tawny to bronzy red and form an upright, arching vase. The grass stays evergreen, which is unusual for a true grass, and its winter color is beige with coppery bases. It reaches about three feet tall in drier soil and four feet or more in rich, moist soil.
Pairs well with Society garlic, Wallflower, and Anemone.
Native range
New Zealand.