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Ornamental Grasses -- Japanese Blood Grass

By Ben Mester

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 13Dec2010
Word count: 559
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The ornamental grass Japanese blood grass is a type of garden plant that I encountered quite frequently in my landscaping route. The reason why I was drawn to it was first, the very cool name, but also because of the vibrant colors that it grew. In being from a desert climate, we don't get very much variety of seasons. It goes from the heat of summer to the barely cold of winter, with very little spring or fall. Japanese blood grass is beautiful in a garden because its deep red reminds me of the color change of maple trees in the fall whose leaves turn to crimson red. It has a similar color of red when fully developed, and thus makes a great addition to any garden. Not only that, but being an ornamental grass, it's generally low maintenance and grows in similar conditions that regular lawns do.

Japanese blood grass is considered a border ground cover plant. Even though it has the title of grass, it can't be used as a lawn. Japanese blood grass likes to grow very tall and thin, and can easily take over a space if you plant it too close to other plants. The most beautiful displays of blood grass that I saw in my landscaping ventures used blood grass as a border for walkways leading up to the front door. Especially when the blood grass was in full color, it accentuated the colors of the walkways, mulch, and the green of other plants.

Here are a few things to know about Japanese blood grass in case you want to try your hand at growing it yourself. Japanese blood grass can grow in many regions and likes sunlight, though it is best to plant it in an area where it will get at least partial shade. It also likes to be well watered and stay in moist soil, though like other grasses, it likes good drainage as well. Areas high in clay will most likely need to use gypsum to break up the clay in the soil. Japanese blood grass will generally grow to a height of about two feet, which is a great height for bushes. It will turn a bright red at the tips when mature and in season, giving off that air of fall colors which is great for areas that don't get a lot of fall colors otherwise. Just be careful. Japanese blood grass can sometimes get out of hand if you don't manage it. It definitely likes to grow.

Because Japanese blood grass has vibrant colors, it's often paired with a few other plants that make the combination pop out. Flowers that bloom with vibrant yellows and oranges, such as marigolds, are a perfect combination with Japanese blood grass. I also like to see blood grass planted in areas of colored mulch, especially darkly colored mulch. One landscape that I was particularly fond of used a mulch that was almost black and had Japanese blood grass planted next to a rose bush that produced white roses. The black and white was already a striking combination, but the red accents of the blood grass made the entire display really pop out. The great thing about plants is that you can experiment. Try a few different things and see if you don't come up with something that you really like.

For more about landscaping and maintenance, check out my other articles on a few grass problems most people encounter, and growing perfect grass.

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