ornamental grass
Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster'
Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 4–9, Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster' is an ornamental grass. Expect 4–5 ft of height and 1.5–2.5 ft of spread; our lists space it 2 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part sun with average water, and it copes with wet soil. Expect pink flowers in June to July. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the grass role: a grass or grass-like plant that adds movement and fine texture in the middle. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
- Plant type
- Ornamental grass, herbaceous
- Hardiness zones
- 4 to 9
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Medium; tolerates wet soil
- Soil
- Adaptable, including heavy clay; tolerates moist soil.
- Mature size
- 4–5 ft tall × 1.5–2.5 ft wide
- Spacing
- 2 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Jun–Jul · pink
- Roles in a bed
- Grass
- Styles
- modern, classic, cottage
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $10–$18 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat; keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Established plants need water only in dry spells.
- Pruning
- Cut back to 4-6 inches in late winter before new growth starts.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list (true grasses and sedges are not listed as toxic); Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed and invasive plant lists; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Dog-safe plants for a full-sun bed in zone 4
- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 4
- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 8
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 4
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 5 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 7
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
- Cottage garden plants for a sunny bed in zone 5
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Lamb's ear 'Helen von Stein'Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein'perennial · zones 4–8
- Spike speedwell 'Royal Candles'Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles'perennial · zones 3–8
- Dwarf Alberta spruce 'Conica'Picea glauca 'Conica'shrub · zones 3–7
- Siberian iris 'Caesar's Brother'Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother'perennial · zones 3–8
- Garden phlox 'David'Phlox paniculata 'David'perennial · zones 4–8
- Weigela 'Wine & Roses'Weigela florida 'Alexandra'shrub · zones 4–8
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
- Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln'Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'zones 5–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Northern sea oatsChasmanthium latifoliumzones 5–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Tufted hair grassDeschampsia cespitosazones 4–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillariszones 6–11 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants