What soil does Ribbon grass grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, clay, sandy, calcareous, acidic.

Is Ribbon grass hardy?

Hardy down to -34 °C (USDA zone 4, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

When does Ribbon grass flower?

Flowering: June–July, white, pink.

How much water does Ribbon grass need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: medium.

How much does Ribbon grass cost?

It sells for roughly €3.90 to €13 in local shops, depending on size.

What should I plant instead of Ribbon grass?

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. For a similar purpose we recommend: Fountain grass, Hameln dwarf fountain grass, Feather reed grass, Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster'.

Ribbon grass

Phalaris arundinacea

Ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea) is an ornamental grass. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -34 °C. Drought tolerance: medium. Sold in local shops from about €3.90. We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens.

Illustration of Ribbon grass — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

Gardens grow its white-striped forms: they make a fresh, bright patch, live in almost any soil from shallow water to dry sand, and quickly knit into a weed-suppressing carpet. It is a good choice for a pond edge, a large awkward area or a container. Keep it out of mixed perennial borders, where its runners push out the neighbours within a few years; if it browns or flops in midsummer, cut it back and it will produce fresh foliage.

We do not recommend this plant

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. Further down we show what to plant instead.

Watch out for

It spreads by shallow creeping rhizomes, and very fast: in moist, rich soil one plant covers several square metres within a few years and forms a solid stand that tolerates nothing else; in dry soil it is somewhat slower. It is hard to get rid of because the smallest piece of rhizome left in the ground resprouts. What really contains it: a strong pot or tub sunk into the ground, a planting basket in and beside ponds, or in a bed a root barrier edging installed at planting time with its rim above soil level; without one you must cut round it with a spade every year and pull out the escaping runners. Do not plant it loose in a perennial border or a small garden. The form Feesey is whiter, shorter and somewhat less invasive than Picta. The green species is a native waterside plant here and across Europe, so it does not count as invasive in this region (it does in North American wetlands), but discarded rhizomes of the garden form will root on a natural bank, so never dump them there. By midsummer the leaves may brown and the stems flop; in winter the foliage dries and collapses.

Key facts

Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water need: Medium
Care: High
Size after 10 years: 1 m × 2 m
Hardiness: down to -34 °C
Foliage: Deciduous
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D June–July, white, pink

Group	Ornamental grass
Light	Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years	1 m × 2 m
Ultimate size	0.6–1.5 m × 0.6–2.4 m
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic
Foliage	Deciduous
Flowering	June–July, white, pink
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium
Maintenance	High
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no data
Spreading	High
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	50 cm
For dogs	no data
For cats	no data
For children	no data
Typical price	from about €3.90

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

What to plant instead

Recommended plants that do the same job, with similar characteristics.

Fountain grass

Pennisetum alopecuroides 90 cm × 90 cm after 10 years

An ornamental grass forming a hemispherical, arching clump that carries soft bottlebrush plumes from late summer into autumn and turns golden yellow…

Ornamental grass

Full sun

Part shade

from about €5.90

Hameln dwarf fountain grass

Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' 90 cm × 90 cm after 10 years

This compact ornamental grass works well in small groups, mixed perennial borders or a large container. Soft bottlebrush flower heads appear in late…

Ornamental grass

Full sun

Part shade

from about €10

Feather reed grass

Calamagrostis × acutiflora 1.5 m × 60 cm after 10 years

A narrow, strictly upright ornamental grass that flowers as early as the start of summer and keeps its straw-coloured stems standing all winter, so it…

Ornamental grass

Full sun

Part shade

from about €7.90