Hakonechloa macra Aureola

Common Name:
Japanese Forest Grass – Aureola

Description:
Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' is a highly ornamental, deciduous grass prized for its graceful form and striking variegated foliage. This elegant Japanese forest grass features cascading mounds of fine, arching leaves striped with vibrant golden-yellow and lime green, often flushed with pink or red tones in cooler weather. It provides year-round visual interest in shaded areas and brings a soft, flowing texture to garden beds, borders, and containers. Ideal for Melbourne’s temperate climate, 'Aureola' thrives in part shade to full shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. It tolerates light frost and will go dormant in winter, returning with lush new growth in spring. Slow-growing and non-invasive, this grass is excellent for underplanting trees, edging paths, or softening hard landscape elements. Its movement in the breeze and seasonally shifting tones make it a standout in shaded or woodland-style gardens.

Form:
*Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding
*Ground Cover

Mature Size:
*Height: 30 to 45 cm
Width: 45 to 60 cm

Aspect:
*Part Shade
*Full Shade

Flowering:
*Flowers in Summer

Flower Colour:
*Pale Green (inconspicuous)

Key Attributes:
*Suitable for Pots
*Low Maintenance
*Deciduous
*Ornamental Foliage
*Suitable for Ground Cover
*Shade Tolerant
*Non-Invasive
*Suitable for Underplanting

Toxicity:
*Non-toxic to humans
Non-toxic to pets

Companion Plants:
*Hosta varieties
*Heuchera ‘Obsidian’
*Ferns
*Brunnera macrophylla
*Tiarella cordifolia
Astilbe varieties