213 Species in Genus Calamagrostis

May 21 – Calamagrostis
"Calamagrostis, the feather reed grass, represents May 21."
This grass symbolizes elegance and resilience. You are poised and graceful, even under pressure. Like its swaying reeds, you adapt effortlessly to changing winds.

Calamagrostis: A Deep Dive with Ferb Vu

As a plant enthusiast, I’ve always been drawn to the subtle beauty and understated elegance of grasses. They bring a unique texture and movement to any landscape, and among my favorites is the genus Calamagrostis. These versatile plants, commonly known as reed grasses or smallweeds, offer a wide array of forms and colors, making them a fantastic addition to any garden.

Understanding Calamagrostis

Calamagrostis is a large genus belonging to the Poaceae family, boasting over 200 species. They are primarily found in temperate regions across the globe, often thriving in diverse habitats, from meadows and forest edges to wetlands and mountainous areas. This adaptability is a testament to their hardiness and resilience.

One of the defining characteristics of Calamagrostis is their growth habit. They typically form dense clumps of slender, upright stems adorned with narrow leaves. In summer, these clumps erupt with feathery plumes of flowers, ranging in color from pale green to golden brown. These inflorescences persist well into winter, providing structural interest and a touch of warmth to the otherwise dormant landscape.

Notable Calamagrostis Species

The diversity within the Calamagrostis genus is truly remarkable. Here are:

1. Calamagrostis abnormis (Hook.f.) U.Shukla
2. Calamagrostis acuminata (Vickery) Govaerts
3. Calamagrostis × acutiflora (Schrad.) DC.
4. Calamagrostis admiranda Charit.
5. Calamagrostis adpressiramea Ohwi
6. Calamagrostis affinis (M.Gray) Govaerts
7. Calamagrostis ajanensis Kharkev. & Prob.
8. Calamagrostis alajica Litv.
9. Calamagrostis altaica Tzvelev
10. Calamagrostis × amgunensis Prob.
11. Calamagrostis × andrejewii Litv.
12. Calamagrostis angustifolia Kom.
13. Calamagrostis anthoxanthoides (Munro ex Hook.f.) Regel
14. Calamagrostis appressa (Vickery) Govaerts
15. Calamagrostis archboldii Hitchc.
16. Calamagrostis arenaria (L.) Roth
17. Calamagrostis arenosa Charit.
18. Calamagrostis arundinacea (L.) Roth
19. Calamagrostis atjehensis Ohwi
20. Calamagrostis australis (Moritzi) Buse
21. Calamagrostis autumnalis Koidz.
22. Calamagrostis × badzhalensis Prob.
23. Calamagrostis balkharica P.A.Smirn.
24. Calamagrostis × baltica (Flüggé ex Schrad.) Trin.
25. Calamagrostis benthamiana (Vickery) Govaerts
26. Calamagrostis × bihariensis Simonk.
27. Calamagrostis bogotensis (Pilg.) Pilg.
28. Calamagrostis bolanderi Thurb.
29. Calamagrostis borii Tzvelev
30. Calamagrostis brachyathera (Stapf) Govaerts
31. Calamagrostis breviglumis (Benth.) Hack. ex Maiden & Betche
32. Calamagrostis breviligulata (Fernald) Saarela
33. Calamagrostis breweri Thurb.
34. Calamagrostis burejensis Prob. & Barkalov
35. Calamagrostis caerulea Charit.
36. Calamagrostis cainii Hitchc.
37. Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) P.Beauv. Plant FAQs: Calamagrostis Canadensis – Canada Reedgrass
38. Calamagrostis canescens (Weber) Roth
39. Calamagrostis carchiensis Laegaard
40. Calamagrostis carinata (Vickery) Govaerts
41. Calamagrostis caucasica Trin.
42. Calamagrostis chalybaea (Laest.) Fr.
43. Calamagrostis chaseae Luces
44. Calamagrostis cleefii Escalona
45. Calamagrostis conferta (Keng) P.C.Kuo & S.L.Lu
46. Calamagrostis congesta Charit.
47. Calamagrostis crassiuscula (Vickery) Govaerts
48. Calamagrostis curtoides (Rúgolo & Villav.) Govaerts
49. Calamagrostis × czerepanovii Husseinov
50. Calamagrostis debilis Hook.f.
51. Calamagrostis decipiens (R.Br.) Govaerts
52. Calamagrostis decora Hook.f.
53. Calamagrostis deschampsiiformis C.E.Hubb.
54. Calamagrostis deschampsioides Trin.
55. Calamagrostis diemii (Rúgolo) Soreng
56. Calamagrostis diffusa (Keng) Keng f.
57. Calamagrostis dmitrievae Tzvelev
58. Calamagrostis don-hensonii (Reznicek & Judz.) Saarela
59. Calamagrostis drummondii (Steud.) Govaerts
60. Calamagrostis effusiflora (Rendle) P.C.Kuo & S.L.Lu ex J.L.Yang
61. Calamagrostis elatior (Griseb.) A.Camus
62. Calamagrostis emodensis Griseb.
63. Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth
64. Calamagrostis extremiorientalis (Tzvelev) Prob.
65. Calamagrostis fauriei Hack.
66. Calamagrostis filiformis Griseb.
67. Calamagrostis × filipes (Keng) P.C.Kuo & S.L.Lu ex J.L.Yang
68. Calamagrostis flaccida Keng f.
69. Calamagrostis foliosa Kearney Plant FAQs: Calamagrostis Foliosa – Spiny Rush
70. Calamagrostis fulgida Laegaard
71. Calamagrostis gamblei Paszko
72. Calamagrostis gaoligongensis (Paszko) Paszko
73. Calamagrostis gigas Takeda
74. Calamagrostis × gracilescens (Blytt) Blytt
75. Calamagrostis × grandiseta Takeda
76. Calamagrostis griffithii (Bor) G.Singh
77. Calamagrostis guamanensis Escalona
78. Calamagrostis guatemalensis Hitchc.
79. Calamagrostis hakonensis Franch. & Sav.
80. Calamagrostis × hartmaniana Fr.
81. Calamagrostis × haussknechtiana Torges
82. Calamagrostis hedbergii Melderis
83. Calamagrostis hillebrandii (Munro ex Hillebr.) Hitchc.
84. Calamagrostis himalaica (L.Liu ex Wen L.Chen) Paszko
85. Calamagrostis holciformis Jaub. & Spach
86. Calamagrostis holmii Lange
87. Calamagrostis hongii Paszko & Bing Liu
88. Calamagrostis howellii Vasey
89. Calamagrostis imbricata (Vickery) Govaerts
90. Calamagrostis inaequalis (Vickery) Govaerts
91. Calamagrostis × indagata Torges & Hausskn.
92. Calamagrostis inexpansa A.Gray
93. Calamagrostis insperata Swallen
94. Calamagrostis inundata Charit.
95. Calamagrostis kalarica Tzvelev
96. Calamagrostis koelerioides Vasey
97. Calamagrostis kokonorica Keng ex Tzvelev
98. Calamagrostis × kolymaensis Kom.
99. Calamagrostis korotkyi Litv.
100. Calamagrostis korshinskyi Litv.
101. Calamagrostis × kotulae Zapał.
102. Calamagrostis kozhevnikovii Prob. & Prokop.
103. Calamagrostis × kuznetzovii Tzvelev
104. Calamagrostis lahulensis G.Singh
105. Calamagrostis lapponica (Wahlenb.) Hartm.
106. Calamagrostis lawrencei (Vickery) Govaerts
107. Calamagrostis leonardii Chase
108. Calamagrostis ligulata (Kunth) Hitchc.
109. Calamagrostis linifolia Govaerts
110. Calamagrostis llanganatensis Laegaard
111. Calamagrostis lonana Eggenb. & Leibundg.
112. Calamagrostis longiseta Hack.
113. Calamagrostis macilenta (Griseb.) Litv.
114. Calamagrostis macrolepis Litv.
115. Calamagrostis masamunei Honda
116. Calamagrostis matsumurae Maxim.
117. Calamagrostis mckiei (Vickery) Govaerts
118. Calamagrostis mesathera (Stapf ex Vickery) Govaerts
119. Calamagrostis microseta (Vickery) Govaerts
120. Calamagrostis × microtis (Ohwi) Ohwi
121. Calamagrostis minarovii Hüseyin
122. Calamagrostis minor (Benth.) J.M.Black
123. Calamagrostis montanensis (Scribn.) Scribn. ex Vasey
124. Calamagrostis moupinensis Franch.
125. Calamagrostis muiriana B.L.Wilson & Sami Gray
126. Calamagrostis munroi Boiss.
127. Calamagrostis nagarum (Bor) G.Singh
128. Calamagrostis nana Takeda
129. Calamagrostis nandadeviensis P.Agnihotri & D.Prasad
130. Calamagrostis neocontracta Govaerts
131. Calamagrostis niitakayamensis Honda
132. Calamagrostis ningxiaensis D.Z.Ma & J.N.Li
133. Calamagrostis nivicola (Hook.f.) Hand.-Mazz.
134. Calamagrostis nudiflora (Vickery) Govaerts
135. Calamagrostis nutkaensis (J.Presl) Steud. Plant FAQs: Calamagrostis Nutkaensis
136. Calamagrostis nyingchiensis (P.C.Kuo & S.L.Lu) Paszko
137. Calamagrostis obtusata Trin.
138. Calamagrostis onibitoana Tateoka
139. Calamagrostis ophitidis (J.T.Howell) Nygren
140. Calamagrostis oreophila Mabb.
141. Calamagrostis × paradoxa Lipsky
142. Calamagrostis parsana (Bor) M.Dogan
143. Calamagrostis parviseta (Vickery) Reeder
144. Calamagrostis pavlovii Roshev.
145. Calamagrostis perplexa Scribn.
146. Calamagrostis pickeringii A.Gray
147. Calamagrostis pinetorum Swallen
148. Calamagrostis pisinna Swallen
149. Calamagrostis × ponojensis Montell
150. Calamagrostis porteri A.Gray
151. Calamagrostis × prahliana Torges
152. Calamagrostis przevalskyi Tzvelev
153. Calamagrostis × pseudodeschampsioides Tzvelev
154. Calamagrostis pseudophragmites (Haller f.) Koeler
155. Calamagrostis pungens Tovar
156. Calamagrostis purpurascens R.Br.
157. Calamagrostis purpurea (Trin.) Trin.
158. Calamagrostis pusilla Reeder
159. Calamagrostis ramonae Escalona
160. Calamagrostis reflexa (Vickery) Govaerts
161. Calamagrostis × rigens Fr.
162. Calamagrostis rodwayi (Vickery) Govaerts
163. Calamagrostis rubescens Buckley
164. Calamagrostis sachalinensis F.Schmidt
165. Calamagrostis sajanensis Malyschev
166. Calamagrostis salina Tzvelev
167. Calamagrostis scabrescens Griseb.
168. Calamagrostis scabriflora Swallen
169. Calamagrostis schmidtiana Tzvelev & Prob.
170. Calamagrostis scopulorum M.E.Jones
171. Calamagrostis scotica (Druce) Druce
172. Calamagrostis sesquiflora (Trin.) Tzvelev
173. Calamagrostis sichotensis Tzvelev & Prob.
174. Calamagrostis sichuanensis J.L.Yang
175. Calamagrostis sinelatior (Keng f.) P.C.Kuo & S.L.Lu ex J.L.Yang
176. Calamagrostis sorengii (Paszko & W.L.Chen) Paszko
177. Calamagrostis spruceana (Wedd.) Hack. ex Sodiro
178. Calamagrostis srilankensis Davidse
179. Calamagrostis staintonii G.Singh
180. Calamagrostis stenophylla Hand.-Mazz.
181. Calamagrostis stolizkae Hook.f.
182. Calamagrostis stricta (Timm) Koeler
183. Calamagrostis × strigosa (Wahlenb.) Hartm.
184. Calamagrostis subacrochaeta Nakai
185. Calamagrostis × subchalybaea Tzvelev
186. Calamagrostis × subepigeios Tzvelev
187. Calamagrostis × submonticola Prob.
188. Calamagrostis × subneglecta Tzvelev
189. Calamagrostis subscabra Charit.
190. Calamagrostis subvivipara Charit.
191. Calamagrostis suka Speg.
192. Calamagrostis tacomensis K.L.Marr & Hebda
193. Calamagrostis tashiroi Ohwi
194. Calamagrostis × tatianae Prob.
195. Calamagrostis teberdensis Litv.
196. Calamagrostis tenuissima Charit.
197. Calamagrostis tianschanica Rupr.
198. Calamagrostis tibetica (Bor) Tzvelev
199. Calamagrostis × torgesiana Hausskn.
200. Calamagrostis tripilifera Hook.f.
201. Calamagrostis turkestanica Hack.
202. Calamagrostis tzvelevii Hüseyin
203. Calamagrostis × uralensis Litv.
204. Calamagrostis × ussuriensis Tzvelev
205. Calamagrostis utsutsuensis Otting & B.L.Wilson
206. Calamagrostis varia (Schrad.) Host
207. Calamagrostis × vassiljevii Tzvelev
208. Calamagrostis veresczaginii Zolot.
209. Calamagrostis villosa (Chaix) J.F.Gmel.
210. Calamagrostis × wirtgeniana Hausskn.
211. Calamagrostis yanyuanensis J.L.Yang
212. Calamagrostis zejensis Prob.
213. Calamagrostis × zerninensis Lüderw.

Why I Appreciate Calamagrostis

My fascination with Calamagrostis stems from several factors. First and foremost, I admire their resilience and adaptability. They can tolerate a wide range of growing conditions, from full sun to partial shade and from moist to well-drained soils. This makes them a low-maintenance choice for busy gardeners like myself.

Secondly, I appreciate their aesthetic versatility. Calamagrostis can be incorporated into various garden styles, from formal to informal. They can be used as striking focal points, elegant accents in mixed borders, or even as screens and hedges. Their vertical lines and airy texture provide a beautiful contrast to other plant forms, adding depth and complexity to the landscape.

Finally, I value their ecological contributions. Calamagrostis provides habitat and food sources for various wildlife, including birds and insects. Their deep root systems help to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. Moreover, many species are native to their respective regions, contributing to the biodiversity and ecological balance of the local environment.

Cultivating Calamagrostis

Growing Calamagrostis is a relatively straightforward process. Most species prefer a sunny location with well-drained soil. However, some, like Calamagrostis brachytricha, tolerate partial shade and moist conditions. Once established, they are fairly drought-tolerant and require minimal watering.

In late winter or early spring, it’s beneficial to cut back the old foliage to make way for new growth. This helps to maintain the plant’s appearance and prevent it from becoming too unkempt. Dividing mature clumps every few years can help to maintain their vigor and prevent overcrowding.

Conclusion

Calamagrostis is a truly remarkable genus that deserves a prominent place in any garden. Their beauty, resilience, and ecological value make them an invaluable asset to both the gardener and the environment. Whether you’re looking for a striking specimen plant, a graceful addition to a mixed border, or a sustainable choice for your landscape, Calamagrostis has something to offer. I encourage you to explore the diversity of this genus and discover the many ways it can enhance your own garden.