Molinia Caerulea Heidebraut

Molinia Caerulea Heidebraut, more commonly known to UK gardeners as Purple Moor Grass, is a deciduous decorative grass that forms tall tussocks of arching stems throughout the spring, summer and autumn months. Whilst blooms of billowing flowers are beautiful, a well designed garden needs more than a cacophony of temporary vivid petals. Understated ornamental grasses such as Purple Moor Grass lends some balance to a bloom-filled garden.
Molinia Caerulea Heidebraut is one of the first of the grasses to emerge in spring. Its fresh green leaves change to a buttery yellow in the autumn.  During the summer months dark purple flowers spikes can reach over a metre in height. Their stems turn a rich orange shade as autumn approaches.  

Hardiness Levels of Molinia Caerulea Heidebraut
Heidebraut is fully hardy in the UK. It will grow on most soils but much prefers a moist, well drained soil of neutral to acid nature.

How To Use Molinia Caerulea Heidebraut
Purple Moor Grass is one of the taller forms of deciduous grasses and certainly one of the most compact. It will grow tall and narrow lending interest to the mid-height section of your garden border without crowding out the other plants. 
Ornamental grasses are also very effective in the mid-distance of a garden. They are not dense, so you are able to see through them and planting some in the mid-distance will make your garden appear bigger by tricking your eye into thinking there is more space behind it.
It’s tough as well as ornamental, tolerating coastal gardens and urban areas easily. It will thrive in containers too, which you can move around the garden. Try putting a container of purple moor grass somewhere the evening sun can back light it for a spectacular haze of warm autumn colour.  
If you plant several mounds of Molinia Caerulea Heidebraut in a breezy area it will create a sea-like movement with its long stems. Long grasses bring wildlife into your garden too, particularly birds that eat the seed heads in autumn. 

How to Care for Molinia Caerulea Heidebraut
Purple Moor Grass prefers moist well-drained soil but will manage in most aspects. Its favoured soil is sand, clay, chalk or loam with an acid or neutral ph. It will struggle to thrive in an alkaline garden, but if you are hooked on purple moor grass you can plant it with well-rotted manure and top up the surrounding soil with garden compost each year. 
Remove any dead growth in winter after the leaves and flowers have died back ready for the new spring growth. If you enjoy a wildlife garden leave this as long as possible as wildlife will appreciate taking shelter in the die back.

Molinia Caerulea Heidebraut is an essential addition to a well-balanced garden. Decorative grasses offer motion and interest for most of the year and bring out the brighter aspects of your chosen flowers.