Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, Japanese Forest Grass

Chartreuse…doesn’t just thinking about that color make you feel happy? Like maybe you just had a big gulp of Sprite or sucked on a lime and then a lemon right afterwards. That is how I would describe chartreuse…and I love it! I remember describing something to my husband (although I can’t remember what I was describing) and saying “Yeah it was like a chartreuse color” and he had no idea what I was talking about. Don’t worry, he now knows a wide range of colors such as coral, salmon, sienna, etc. I have no idea if he wants to know all those colors, but that’s just part of the highs and lows of being married to a designer.

Back to the grass: This guy makes quite a statement in any shady garden area. With a bright chartreuse hue and bamboo looking leaves it adds a little bit of cheer to any dark, shady place. The cascading effect would be awesome in a Japanese garden, as the common name suggests, or along a path. I have it in my front yard and I am still experimenting with it (read: it doesn’t look quite like the pictures online…yet, I’m waiting for my tree to get bigger to provide it more shade!). It died back in the winter, so I cut it back and it appears to get leaf scorch with intense heat or sunlight. If you have enough shade you should seek it out for your garden. I like to pair this with something darker such as Heuchera spp., or Helloborus, or in front of some waxy leaves of a Camellia. Applicable sunset zones are 2-9, and 14-24. Do you have any success with this plant? Let me know!

Source: The brightest and cheeriest of plants for any shady garden