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This is a 2-4 ft., clump-forming, perennial grass bearing large, drooping, oat-like flower spikelets from slender, arching branches. The blue-green, bamboo-like leaves often turn a bright yellow-gold, especially in sunnier sites, in fall.
Very popular as a low-maintenance shade grass, it is notable for its large, graceful seed heads. Sending up blue-green basal leaves in earliest spring, it can be 2 feet tall and a vivid green by May, with translucent green seed heads swaying in the breeze. By mid-summer, the seeds will have turned an attractive ivory and will turn brown in a few months before dropping off. It passes through most of winter a soft brown, but becomes tattered and gray by February, a good time to cut it back to the basal rosette. It reseeds easily and can expand aggressively within a couple of years, making a solid mat in moist loams. It has been used to prevent soil erosion along streams. The seed stalks are attractive in flower arrangements.
Price range: $14.99 through $149.99
Please note: Most pictures represent mature plants. Unless otherwise specified, all of our plants are sold in 4″ pots to make shipping possible and will mature in time.
Learn more about how the process works and how our plants are delivered.
| Native | |
|---|---|
| Wetland Indicator | |
| Sunlight | |
| Special Attributes | |
| Moisture | |
| Bloom Period | July to September |
| Size | 1 Gallon, 1 Quart, Full Flat – (50) 2 inch Plugs |
Chasmanthium latifolium, commonly known as River Oats or Inland Sea Oats, is a graceful native warm-season grass prized for its distinctive oat-like seed heads, attractive bamboo-like foliage, and excellent performance in shaded landscapes. Native to the southeastern and central United States, this versatile perennial grass is an excellent choice for woodland gardens, shade gardens, rain gardens, stream banks, slopes, and naturalized landscapes.
During the growing season, Chasmanthium latifolium forms upright clumps of broad, arching green leaves that create a lush, flowing texture. In summer, distinctive flat, oat-like flower and seed heads emerge on slender stems, often starting green before maturing to coppery bronze. The attractive seed heads persist into fall and winter, providing valuable seasonal interest and movement in the landscape.
River Oats performs best in partial shade to full shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil, although it can adapt to a range of conditions once established. It is particularly well suited to woodland settings, stream edges, rain gardens, and areas beneath mature trees. Its fibrous root system can help stabilize soil on slopes and along waterways.
With its graceful foliage, distinctive seed heads, shade tolerance, and excellent seasonal interest, Chasmanthium latifolium is an outstanding native ornamental grass for gardeners looking to add texture, movement, habitat, and ecological value to shaded and naturalized landscapes.
