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Japanese Blood Grass

Imperata cylindrica (im-per-AH-tah sil-IN-drih-kah)

Family: Poaceae Non-native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Japanese Bloodgrass is a perennial variety of cogongrass which has been designated as one of the 10 worst weeds in the world and is listed on the USDA's Noxious Weed List. While the red form is not invasive, it can revert back to the 4-5 foot tall green form which is extremely aggressive. The foliage is narrow and sharply pointed grassy leaves which are green at the base and red from midsection to tip. Cogongrass has already invaded 153 billion acres worldwide, and over one million acres in Florida, where it has displaced many native species of plants. Please consider using non-invasive alternatives. More information on Imperata cylindrica .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 40 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea' Imperata cylindrica Phyllostachys aureosulcata
Native alternatives Muhlenbergia capillaris

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Ground Cover; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Red/Burgundy; Variegated
Leaf type
Sheath
Leaf arrangement
Other/more complex
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Flower color
Gray/Silver; White
Flower value
Long-lasting
Flower form
Spike
Flower detail
Rarely flowers but can flower year around in semi-tropical area or tropical areas
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Southeast Asia, Southern Europe, Africa, Micronesia, Australia
Distribution
It is established in FL, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#deciduous #green leaves #red leaves #black walnut toxicity tolerant #showy leaves #drought tolerant #aggressive #air pollution tolerant #invasive #high maintenance #fast growing #Noxious Weed (Federal list) #weedy
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Invasive Species; Weedy
Resistant to
Black Walnut; Drought; Pollution
Propagation
Division

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.