Carex comans Frosted Curls

The Carex comans 'Frosted Curls', strange and attractive, is a singular grass whose appearance evokes that of a small round animal hidden under a dense, drooping mane with metallic highlights. Its light green, evergreen and very fine foliage, curled at the ends, shines with a blue-silver glow before taking on a beautiful coppery hue in the winter. This non-invasive ground cover is a perennial with a clump-forming stump that adds character to contemporary or wild landscapes and can easily be grown in pots and planters. 

Carex comans is a grass native to New Zealand, notably the Stewart Islands, where it is found in open woodland and forest edges, growing in well-drained soils, coastal areas, and subalpine meadows. Like many "grasses", it belongs to the large family of Poaceae. 

'Frosted Curls' is a reasonably recent variety, which differs from the typical species by the green-blue-silver colouration of its foliage and a particularly pronounced corkscrew curl at the end of its long leaves. Very thin linear, the 40 cm (15.7 in) long leaves are strongly arched and form a fountain of 30-40cm (11.8 - 15.7 in) in height and 45-50cm (17.7 - 19.7 in) in diameter. Their light green is tinged with grey-blue, shining with silver reflections. The flowers appear in June and July and are reddish-brown with little ornamental interest.

This hardy and undemanding plant thrives in the sun and adapts to many growing conditions, but dislikes waterlogged soils. Plant it in a sheltered position above a rockery or a wall so the foliage can cascade freely. Combine it with grey-blue foliage such as Heuchera 'Green Spice', Stachys byzantina 'Big Ears', and oregano 'Rosenkuppel'. The acid green flowers of euphorbias (Euphorbia myrsinites), the small purple pompoms of ornamental garlic, and the corollas of poppies will enhance the brilliance of its cool-toned foliage. 

Creative gardeners can use Frosted Curls Carex to design unique decorations made from multiple pots of Carex fixed at various levels on a wooden frame. Annuals like marigolds, red salvias, purple morning glories, and others can be planted at the base of the structure to enhance the appearance.