Briza media Zitterzebra

Briza media 'Zitterzebra' is a variety of quaking grass that offers elegant variegated foliage. It always delights us with its joyful heart-shaped purple flowering spikes, dancing at the slightest breeze, but this time, they are carried by variegated foliage. Its fine linear leaves are a vibrant pistachio green bordered with creamy white. This attractive selection can delight lovers of quaking grass, already charmed by its trailing flowering spikes. Enthusiasts of dried bouquets and wild gardens are well acquainted with  Briza media, or Quaking Grass.  A wonderful hardy perennial, tolerant of difficult conditions, suitable in all gardens, from the wildest to the most contemporary!

Briza media is a creeping stoloniferous herbaceous perennial belonging to the family of Poaceae, like many grasses. Originating in Europe, as well as the western and boreal regions of Asia, this is a particularly hardy and undemanding plant. It grows in small tufts with flat, rough, linear, bluish-green leaves, bordered by bristles. When mature, it will measure 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in) in all directions, with rapid growth. The foliage is evergreen. In June-July, branched flowers appear, with long, arched capillary branches, each bearing scaly spikes of a characteristic shape, resembling greenish hearts tinged with purple. At maturity, the spikes turn straw blond. The seeds are dispersed by the wind and ensure the species' longevity in gardens and in nature. 

In the 'Zitterzebra' variety, the striking foliage is two-tone; green bordered with creamy white. This selection reaches 35 cm (14in) in all directions at maturity.

Hardy to -20° C in well-drained soil, Briza media 'Zitterzebra' is a perfect plant anywhere in the garden, thanks to its easy cultivation and graceful flowering. This grass accompanies flowering and lightweight perennials and annuals, such as Toadflaxes, Penstemons, field daisies, Damask Nigellas, Cosmos, or annual poppies. The dark foliage of Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Tom Thumb', Cotinus 'Royal Purple', or Physocarpus 'Diabolo' in moister soil will enhance its dancing flowers. Plant it along a pathway, in a rock garden, along a terrace, or in a large pot, grouping several plants together. This flower, which can be dyed, is essential in dried bouquets.