Melinis nerviglumis 'Pink Crystals' (Pink Crystals Ruby Grass)

A stunning cold tender perennial producing rose-pink clusters of flowers, gracefully aching above narrow blue-green foliage; great for edging or mass planting; flowers fade slowly to white; an excellent filler for cut flower arrangements.

Pink Crystals Ruby Grass is an herbaceous perennial grass with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Pink Crystals Ruby Grass features showy clusters of rose flowers at the ends of the stems from early to late summer that fade to white over time, which emerge from distinctive dark red flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive grassy leaves are bluish-green in colour. The foliage often turns fuchsia in fall.

Pink Crystals Ruby Grass will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

Pink Crystals Ruby Grass is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.