Molinia 'Skyracer'

Molinia 'Skyracer': Sky-High Stems You Can See Right Through

'Skyracer' sends fine, airy plumes on slender stems far above its leafy clump, like it's racing to the clouds. You can see right through it. TALL, SKINNY AND TOTALLY TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Molinia arundinacea 'Skyracer' (also listed as Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea)
• Common Name: Tall Moor Grass
• Height: 180–240 cm (6–8 ft) in flower; the leafy clump is about 90 cm (3 ft)
• Spread: 75–90 cm (2.5–3 ft)
• Flowers: Fine, airy plumes on slender upright stems held far above the foliage
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to fall (July to October)
• Foliage: Green, arching clump that turns bronzy gold in fall
• Features: See-through habit, strong fall colour

Where to Plant: Use it as a see-through screen, a living veil between garden rooms, or a tall accent near the front of a bed where a solid plant would block the view. It suits prairie-style and naturalistic plantings, and it does its best work where low evening sun can shine through it.

Companion Plants: Polemonium 'Purple Rain' sits at 50 to 60 cm with purple flowers in June and July, a dark accent at the base of the tall grass. Gillenia trifoliata adds airy white flowers at 60 to 120 cm over the same weeks. Rudbeckia hirta brings golden daisies at 60 to 90 cm from June to September, carrying on as the seed heads rise. Grow them in full sun or part sun.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun in moist, well-drained soil. It adapts to both lean and rich soil. Water regularly through the first season while the roots settle in. Moor grasses are slow starters. Expect it to take two or three seasons to reach full height, so don't judge it in year one. Leave the stems up for winter interest and cut everything back in early spring before new growth starts. By late winter the stems often break away at the base on their own. Division is rarely needed; if you want more plants, divide in spring.

History: The genus Molinia is named for Juan Ignacio Molina, an 18th-century Chilean naturalist, and tall moor grass grows wild in Europe and western Asia. 'Skyracer' was introduced by the late plantsman Kurt Bluemel, who did a great deal to bring ornamental grasses into North American gardens.

Final Thoughts: Plant it in front of other perennials as a living veil. Deer pass, and fall turns it bronzy gold. FIRST PLACE, EVERY YEAR.