Japanese Blood Grass

Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') is grown for one spectacular trick: upright blades that start the season green with red tips, then deepen to glowing crimson through summer and autumn. Backlit by low sun, a drift of it looks lit from inside. It is a compact ornamental grass, about 45cm tall and 40cm wide, that asks for almost nothing once planted.

Why you'll love it

• Colour that builds for months. The red begins at the leaf tips in spring and pours down the blade as the season runs, peaking in the low light of autumn.
• A tidy, upright clump. It holds its shape without flopping or swamping neighbours, which few ornamental grasses can promise.
• Cold does not scare it. Frost hardy across southern Australia, it simply goes dormant for winter and returns with the spring.
• Poor soil and dry spells are fine. Established clumps handle drought and unimproved ground without complaint.
• One job a year. Cut it down in late winter. That is the entire maintenance calendar.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 40cm apart in drifts of ten or more where afternoon sun can shine through the blades. This is the planting that makes the colour glow, and it reads best against a dark hedge or fence.

Borders, edging and rockeries. At 40cm spacing it makes a ribbon of vertical colour along paths and bed edges, and single clumps slot neatly between rocks.

Pots. A single clump in a plain pot is a small feature on its own, especially where a west facing balcony catches the late sun.

Growing Japanese blood grass in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun brings the strongest red; light shade leaves it greener. It performs in subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean climates, and being frost hardy it is reliable in cold inland gardens, where it dies back cleanly for winter.

Soil. Any drained soil, poor ones included. It is one of the few strongly coloured plants that does not demand pampered ground.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Fertiliser is largely optional; a light spring feed nudges growth along.

Pruning. Cut the whole clump back to a few centimetres in late winter, before new growth starts. If any shoots emerge plain green, remove them at the base so the red form stays true.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Japanese Blood Grass as tube stock. Grasses move quickly from tubes: expect a modest plant on arrival, a respectable clump by the end of the first growing season and full colour from the second summer. In cold districts, plant in spring so it establishes well before its first winter dormancy.

Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read our guide to designing with ornamental grasses.
• Browse the full range of grasses for landscaping.
• Pair it with Fountain Grass for contrast in form.
• See more drought tolerant plants.

Common questions

Is Japanese blood grass invasive?

The red garden form is a slow, clumping grower that rarely flowers, very different in behaviour from the green wild species. Remove any all green shoots that appear, since they revert toward the vigorous wild type, and check local rules if you garden near bushland, as some states restrict the species.

Why has it disappeared over winter?

It is dormant, not dead. The foliage browns and collapses after frost, and fresh blades return from the crown in mid spring. Cut the old growth away in late winter and be patient.

What spacing should I use for a mass planting?

40cm apart, about six plants per square metre. A block of at least ten plants is where the backlit effect starts to pay off.

How red does it actually get?

That depends on sun and season. In full sun the top half to two thirds of each blade turns deep crimson by autumn; in shade or a dull summer expect red tips over green rather than a full wine coloured blade.