Quaking grass

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light partial shade, but flowers less freely.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Established plants tolerate short dry spells; avoid persistently wet soil.

Soil

Well-drained, poor to moderately fertile soil, including chalky, sandy or loamy ground. Avoid heavy, waterlogged soil and rich feeding.

Height

1.5-2.5 ft (0.45-0.75 m), including flowering stems

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Late spring to midsummer; dangling green spikelets, often flushed purple, mature to pale straw-brown.

Foliage

Narrow, flat, blue-green to mid-green leaves form a low tuft. Foliage may remain green in mild winters but dies back in colder climates.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.1 ft (0.35 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.8 ft (0.55 m)

4. After 3 years

   2 ft (0.6 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the UK

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant in well-drained soil with room for air to move between clumps.
• Water during dry spells in the first growing season; once established, water only during prolonged drought.
• Avoid routine fertiliser, which encourages soft growth and floppy flower stems.
• Keep mulch clear of the crown, especially where winters are wet.
• Divide congested clumps in spring when the centre begins to thin.

Pruning. Remove spent flower stems after flowering if you want to limit seedlings, or leave them for their dry seed heads. In late winter or early spring, cut dead stems close to the base and comb out dead leaves without cutting away fresh green growth.

Early spring

Remove dead stems and leaves before new growth becomes well established.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, then water until roots establish.

Late spring

Check for seedlings and remove any growing where they are not wanted.

Summer

Cut selected flower stems for drying, or remove fading heads before seed falls.

Autumn

Leave remaining dry stems for structure, but clear any that collapse onto the crown.

Winter

Check that water is not pooling around plants; improve drainage if the crown stays wet.

• Thread through meadow-style planting with oxeye daisies and field scabious for fine texture and movement.
• Plant in small repeated groups near the front of a sunny border, where the hanging flower heads are easy to see.
• Combine with low-growing perennials in gravel gardens without obscuring their flowers.
• Place beside a path or seating area where breezes set the flower heads moving.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Wildflower, New perennial (prairie), Dry gravel garden, Sensory garden and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Oxeye daisy, Field scabious, Lady's mantle, Meadow cranesbill, Salad burnet and Yarrow.

Wildlife: Provides cover for small invertebrates, and its seeds may be eaten by birds. The flowers are wind-pollinated rather than a nectar source for bees.

• Crown or root rot in waterlogged soil: improve drainage or move the plant to a raised, freely draining position.
• Floppy stems in rich soil or shade: stop feeding and move to a sunnier site if necessary.
• Unwanted seedlings: remove flower heads before seed ripens and pull young seedlings while small.
• Rust or leaf spotting: remove badly affected foliage, avoid wetting leaves when watering and improve airflow.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses; no part is recognised as poisonous. Like other grasses, its leaves can cause minor irritation, and eating a large amount may upset a pet's stomach.

• Greater quaking grass (Briza maxima)

  An annual with much larger, conspicuous hanging spikelets, usually fewer on each flowering stem.

• Lesser quaking grass (Briza minor)

  An annual with many much smaller, usually pale green, triangular spikelets; it does not form a persistent perennial tuft.

• Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

  Has much broader leaves and larger, flattened seed heads on a taller, more substantial plant.

The common name refers to the flower heads trembling on their fine stalks, while the Latin media means intermediate, referring to their size between those of greater and lesser quaking grass.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in spring. Sow seed in pots in spring or autumn, covering it only lightly; plants may also self-seed into open ground.

Accepted botanical name

Briza media

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Assam, Austria, Azores, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Central European Rus, China South-Central and Corse.

Measured

Soil pH 7 to 7.5. Average height 15 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.