Molinia caerulea subsp. caerulea Heidezwerg - Purple Moor-grass

Molinia caerulea subsp. caerulea Heidezwerg is a lovely compact cultivar with bright green foliage. It is native to acidic and wind-beaten heathlands and combines charm and solidity. The plant forms a fairly low and erect column, with fine foliage which is spectacular in autumn when the wind plays with its blonde and coppery strands. It flowers in tight purple spikelets. When planted in the sun, it will adapt to dry or waterlogged soils, even clay, and adds structure to flower beds in winter, with its frosty silhouette.

Native to Northern Europe, Southwest and North Asia, Siberia, Turkey, and the Caucasus, Molinia caerulea belongs to the poaceae family. This grass has a thick, fibrous, and tenacious stump. It owes its species name to the blue highlights that characterize its foliage. Heidezwerg is a small selection with bright green foliage and purple flowers. This perennial forms a stiff but graceful clump of foliage that reaches 45 to 50 cm (18 to 20in) high, 90 cm (35in) to 1 m (3ft) in flower, with a spread of 60 cm (24in). It bears thin, flat, light green leaves in summer, turning blond and rusty in autumn and browner in winter. In late summer, tall and sturdy stems appear above the foliage, carrying panicles of dark purple, fluffy spikelets which remain interesting in winter. At maturity, the stems are almost black, and the spikelets dry well before winter. Growth starts late in spring.

Molina Heidezwerg is a very sculptural, charming grass with a strong presence and subtle, wild attraction. Plant it en masse for a beautiful effect in a wild garden or a small hedge, in a contemporary or rural garden. This grass withstands occasional drought well, allowing it to be included in rock gardens, with lavender cotton and wormwoods. It will also work near ponds, where it will help stabilise the banks, along with other grasses, Macleya cordata, purple loosestrifes, Gunnera, or Carex. In flower beds, plant it also with Bergenias, Sages, and Geraniums.

The swollen base of the stems can be used as a pipe cleaner and toothpick. In the wild, molinias are hosts of ergot, a fungal disease of cereals which can cause severe neurological disorders due to the hallucinogenic alkaloids it contains. Only corn and sorghum are not affected.