ShadeIntolerance for aggressive plantsDeer pests
Hakone grass will grow in partially shaded conditions, is not invasive, and is a deer-resistant ornamental grass. The ‘Aureola’ cultivar affords a bonus: golden leaves striped with green (often with some red, for good measure). While maiden grass is at its most colorful in fall, many gardeners appreciate it even more in winter, when its puffy, silvery-white plumes and straw-colored blades stand out against a barren landscape to provide visual interest. The one problem with this plant (for those who garden in cold regions) is that it hails from the tropics, so it won’t survive a cold winter if left outside. Still, for many gardeners in cooler climates, its beauty alone makes it worth growing, even if it can be enjoyed only during the summer and fall. One nice feature of lilyturf, as compared with some of the true grasses, is that its flowers look like perennial flowers, in contrast to the the puffy blooms produced by blue fescue, maiden grass, or purple fountain grass. Black mondo grass may be truly black, but it is not a true grass: Like lilyturf, this 6-inch-tall plant does not belong to the grass family, but it looks like a grass, acts like a grass, and is, therefore, treated as a grass by gardeners. You can take advantage of black mondo grass’ unusual foliage by planting it next to another ground cover that provides color contrast; Angelina stonecrop (Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’) is a good choice here because it bears golden leaves that are deer-resistant.
