Chasmanthium Latifolium , aka Northern Sea Oats, is fast becoming one of my favorite grasses and I’ve got close to a dozen planted throughout the yard. I’ve yet to see them through all four seasons but I am pumped to do just that this year. Some of my photos to date:    

Why I dig it so much:

• She can handle the clay and even though it is a known heavy re-seeder, my non porous clay won’t let that shit happen.
• Unlike most grasses, she can handle a decent amount of shade which fits perfectly along the front of my house.
• Personally, I like the brighter green color of the foliage which works well with other greens as sometimes the heavy green on green can be a tough sell.
• The “oats” obviously give it a great Summer/Fall/Winter interest and look real cool with each passing breeze.
• The oats can be dried and used in flower arrangements – not that I’ll be doing that any day soon.

As we get further into the late Summer and Fall, here is what I expect the oats to mature to (you can link back to the original photos by clicking on the photos themselves – no copyright infringement here):       

So all you Southeastern peeps who want to steal these off the dunes at the beach but know that it is illegal as it helps stabilize the dunes, pick some of these up and get the same benefits.

Namaste