A true beauty for shady combinations, Hakonechloa macra 'Nicolas' (Hakone Grass) is a very interesting Japanese Forest Grass. Forming a compact cascading mound of gracefully arching, slender blades, its solid green foliage throughout spring and summer, turns brilliant red, orange, and gold as soon as the cooler weather of fall sets in. The cooler the weather, the more incandescent the foliage gets, before dying to the ground. But what a beautiful death with its foliage lighting up dreary corners of the garden well into winter. Delicate-looking, yellow-green flower spikes appear in late summer, but are generally unnoticed among the leaves. Extremely adaptable, Hakonechloa macra 'Nicolas' does wonders in any garden or container.

• Grown for its handsome and eye-catching foliage, this ornamental grass is long-lived, tough and unlike most grasses, loves moist shady conditions.
• Typically grows in dense, spreading cascading mounds, up to 8-16 in. tall (20-40 cm) and 18-24 in. wide (45-60 cm).
• Easy to grow, and resilient to pests and diseases, this ornamental grass requires little maintenance and is a fabulous addition to shady areas where it can grow as a superb accent plant, or as an effective groundcover, along paths, around trees, or in containers.
• Performs best in part shade, in consistently moist, humus rich, and well-drained soils. Full shade is tolerated.
• Cut back foliage to the ground in late winter or early spring before the new shoots appear. Provide winter mulch.
• Best divided in spring. Though this grass does spread by rhizomes, it is a slow grower, and it will not be necessary to divide this grass for many years.