Golden Hakone Grass

This is a Japanese forest grass with bright color that really lights up in an often-forgotten shady corner. It'll gain a slight pink or red note in fall, to match that changing landscape. The thin, arching foliage cascades beautifully on a hillside and makes a nice silhouette around the bottom of trees. We suggest pairing it with the blue-green leaves of hostas for a nice contrast, or with dicentra to emphasize that arching shape and add some floral interest. For ornamental grasses, most of the time, you would need a full sun location. But you can have the bright color, long lines and graceful swaying movement in a shadier garden too—Golden Hakone is actually one of the best grasses for shade. In fact, it performs best in part shade. You can keep it in full sun in a cooler climate with plenty of moisture, and you can keep it in full shade for a softer color. Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold'