Briza media ‘Limouzi’

Quaking Grass Poaceae

A particularly handsome form of our native Quaking Grass, ‘Limouzi’ takes the familiar dancing spikelets and gives them a little more presence. Slender blue-green foliage forms a tidy clump, sending up wiry stems carrying airy, heart-shaped spikelets which tremble and rattle in the slightest breeze. The flowers emerge green flushed with purple before maturing to warm straw-gold, creating a noticeably more silvery effect in flower than ‘Golden Bee’. Particularly drought tolerant once established, it thrives in poor, lean and well-drained soils, where excessive fertility can produce softer, floppier growth. Happily, ‘Limouzi’ does not freely self-seed, making it a well-behaved choice for more refined planting. The name appears to allude to Limousin in France, although its precise origin is undocumented. Excellent in naturalistic planting, gravel gardens and sunny herbaceous borders.

Origin: Horticultural selection; original breeder/raiser unknown.
Flowering: June–July
Hardiness: H7, approximately −20 to −15°C
Height: 50–60 cm
Spread: 45–50 cm