Ornamental Grass ID

[Garden Manager]

Can anyone help me identify this plant. It was sold to me on EBAY as a carex. It clearly isnt, but I am not sure what it is. This is it in flower NOW.  It seems to be quite vigourous so I have kept it in a pot ans plunged that in the bog garden. Oh and it seems to like damp soil. Height a metre or thereabouts, flowers taller.



can anyone offer any suggestions? I can only think of Glyceria or Phalaris. It would be nice to know what it is so I know what to do with it.

Thanks

Heres another picture for another view of it:

[Garden Manager]

[Mrs Ava]

Don't know, but I can tell you my neighbour has it and she says it is a thug and runs all over the place.

[Kerry]

phalaris arundinacea? (gardener's garters)?? plenty on 'googling'.

[froglets]

Good call on keeping it in the pot.  don't know the name, but it is a pest unless you have a big garden you want to fill quickly.  OH dug it out of his garden 2 yrs ago & I'm still finding it coming from seed in my garden from transplanted plants.  Should have a "caution" label.

[GREENWIZARD]

sorry don't know it's name but i was given a clump many moons ago from my mil & i can verify what EJ says ::)
so keep it incarcerated ;D

[Garden Manager]

Thanks for replies. Had another look at my books last night. There are about 3 or 4 which it could be. Strangely enough phalaris doesnt quite fit!

If it is phalaris is the problem just with running stems or does it seed as well? Should I dead head it? The flowers look so nice though.

This is the second year I have had this plant , I grew it in  the same spot in a plunged pot last year too. it soon out grew the pot and rapidly deteriorated. I lifted, split and re planted  it this year and it has gonr from strength to strength since though I feel it probably will deteriorate again when it gets pot bound.

I appreciate it will run in damp soil but is it so bad on dry soil? Will por dry conditions curtail its vigour? I ask because I have already planted a division in such a spot.

Thanks

[Heldi]

It looks the same as the plant I inherited when I moved here. My back garden is very damp,my front garden very dry...it doesn't seem to matter as it happily spreads itself in both gardens. Actually when thinking about it,it seems more vigourous in the front garden.  I dug a clump out complete with a lump of soil. Roots all on show,dropped it on the ground in a cold windy corner of the garden to dispose of later...I forgot about it,it is now growing away after surviving the winter sat on top of the soil and not in it!

[rosebud]

Richard, dry conditions will not kill its growth rate you could fill a field in a year the speed it grows at.
It looks rather nice though.  We have it in the back and front garden it brightens things up but we like it.  Rosebud.

[Heldi]

I like it too Rosebud. I don't mind having to keep it in check every now and then. I have a spreading/sprawling (whatever!) geranium through the one in the front garden, the deep blue flowers poking through the cream and green stripes of the grass look really nice ,but then I would say that because it was my idea lol!