Sesleria autumnalis

Sesleria autumnalis: Chartreuse Meadow in Miniature

Autumn moor grass is a tidy chartreuse tuft that looks like it just had its hair done. Creamy white spikes show up late in the season, just when the rest of the garden looks tired. NEAT FREAK. NO APOLOGIES.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Sesleria autumnalis
• Common Name: Autumn Moor Grass
• Height: 30–45 cm (12–18 in) in flower; the foliage mound is about 30 cm (12 in)
• Spread: 20–30 cm (8–12 in)
• Flowers: Slender, creamy white spikes held just above the leaves
• Bloom Time: Late summer to fall (August to October)
• Foliage: Narrow, bright chartreuse to yellow-green leaves in a tidy, semi-evergreen tuft
• Features: Tolerates dry soil once established, rarely browsed by rabbits

Where to Plant: Plant it in groups along a path, at the front of a border or as a soft groundcover under taller perennials and shrubs, where a loose drift reads like a meadow in miniature. It works in the light shade at the edge of trees as well as in sun.

Companion Plants: Use the chartreuse tufts of autumn moor grass along the front of a sunny or part-shade bed. Amsonia 'Storm Cloud' opens periwinkle stars on dark stems at 61 to 76 cm in May and June. Hemerocallis 'Mauna Loa' adds amber-gold daylilies at 55 to 60 cm in July and August. Leucanthemum 'Starburst' brings big white daisies at 80 to 120 cm from June to August. Monarda 'Purple Rooster' adds purple bee balm at 90 to 100 cm from July to September.

Plant Care: Plant in average, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. It's not fussy about soil type, but it dislikes soggy ground, especially in winter. Water regularly the first season, then only during long dry spells. Overwatering does more harm than good. It's a cool-season grass, so it starts growing early. In early spring, comb out or trim off any tired leaves before new growth gets going. Avoid hard cutting in fall. Divide in spring if a clump gets crowded. In colder zone 5 spots, a site with good drainage and some winter snow cover helps it come through.

History: Autumn moor grass is native to dry, rocky slopes and open woods of southern Europe, from Italy to the Balkan Peninsula. Its name autumnalis points to its late flowering, and the genus honours Leonardo Sesler, an 18th-century Italian physician and botanist.

Final Thoughts: Sun or part shade, dry soil once settled, and deer and rabbits rarely bother. Mass it under bigger plants. TIDY WINS.