Types of Japanese Forest Grass – Green, Striped, or Gold

Types of Japanese Forest Grass – Green, Striped, or Gold guide illustration

Choose a green clump, a gold-striped mound, or a solid gold before you plant. We list seven plants.

Types of Japanese Forest Grass care summary diagram

Choose a green clump, a gold-striped mound, or a solid gold first

FactorRecommendedAvoid
Green speciesMacra. More vigor and more sun than a gold kindDo not buy it expecting a gold mound
Gold-striped moundAureola, Alboaurea, or Stripe It Rich. Cascading gold or cream stripes in part shadeDo not site them in hot afternoon sun
Solid goldAll Gold. Brighter, more upright than a striped plantDo not expect the same cascade as Aureola
Autumn-red kindsNicolas or Naomi for fall orange, red, or purpleDo not buy them if you wanted gold all summer

Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of hakonechloa that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.

2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.

Read the tag for foliage color, then pick that kind. A green species clump takes more sun and grows a little faster. [1] A gold-striped mound lights a shady path. All Gold is a solid gold, more upright plant. [2] Nicolas and Naomi are the autumn-red kinds — green or yellow-green in summer, then orange, red, or purple in fall. [3] The plants we list are green Japanese forest grass, Aureola, Alboaurea, Stripe It Rich, All Gold, Nicolas, and Naomi. Gold and striped kinds need more shade from hot sun than the green species. [4] Shade, water, and the late-winter cut stay on How to Grow Japanese Forest Grass.

Which Japanese forest grass should I buy?

Pick a green clump for more sun and vigor, a gold-striped mound for a cascading gold path edge, All Gold for a brighter upright gold, or Nicolas or Naomi if you want fall red.

What is the difference between Aureola and All Gold?

Aureola is gold with green stripes and a cascading habit. All Gold is solid gold and more upright. Both want part shade and moist soil.

Browse by kind

Green species clump

green Japanese forest grass is the green species. It has more vigor than the gold kinds and takes a bit more sun, still as a shade mound, not a tall sun grass.

Gold-striped mound

Aureola is the usual gold stripe, a cascading mound. Alboaurea is cream, yellow, and green stripe. Stripe It Rich is a shorter gold-and-white stripe. All three want part shade so the gold does not bleach or burn.

Solid gold

All Gold is solid gold, more upright and a little brighter than a striped mound. In heavy shade it reads lime rather than gold.

Autumn-red kinds

Nicolas is green in summer and turns orange and red in fall. Naomi is yellow-green stripe that turns red-purple when the weather cools.

Albostriata, Benikaze, Fubuki, and Samurai are other shop names. We do not list them as cards. Treat a white-stripe plant as the gold-stripe class, and a summer-green plant that turns red in fall as the autumn-red class.

Is Stripe It Rich a different genus?

No. Stripe It Rich is a compact gold-and-white Japanese forest grass. It is still this genus.

Pick green, gold-stripe, All Gold, or an autumn-red kind before you plant. They are the same genus with different light and color.

FAQ

Do you list Albostriata or Benikaze?

No. Those are extra shop names. Treat a white-stripe plant as the gold-stripe class. Treat a summer-green plant that turns red in fall as Nicolas or Naomi's class.

Is Alboaurea the same as Aureola?

No. Aureola is gold with narrow green stripes. Alboaurea is cream, yellow, and green stripe. Both are gold-stripe mounds, not All Gold.

Does All Gold need different shade?

It wants the same part shade and moist soil. In heavy shade it reads more lime than gold. Site and water stay on How to Grow Japanese Forest Grass.

References

  1. [1] NC State Extension Gardener - https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hakonechloa-macra/
  2. [2] University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension - https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/japanese-forest-grass-hakonechloa-macra/
  3. [3] The Morton Arboretum - https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/japanese-forest-grass/
  4. [4] Garden Design - https://www.gardendesign.com/ornamental-grasses/japanese-forest-grass.html

This note is part of Hakonechloa Guides.

More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.

Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors

This guide is written for real gardens, not perfect climates. Results vary with site, season, and plant choice. We draw on multiple sources and practical experience; treat the steps here as honest guidance, not a promise that every bed will behave the same.