Plant ID please

[sweet-pea]

I visited York Gate Garden last Thursday and came across this.  At first glance I thought it was a grass, I was attracted by the flashes of red, but on closer inspection it has what looks like blue flowers in the middle.

Any ideas what it is?  SP x

[sweet-pea]

[saddad]

I'm sure I've seen one recently.. perhaps at Harlow Carr yesterday but I don't know what it is ...
:-[

[valmarg]

Looks like some sort of protea?

valmarg

[sweet-pea]

I wondered that too but couldn't find any photos to compare it with in my books.

[kenkew]

Hi Sweat-Pea,
try checking 'Miscanthus sinensis' especially 'Morning light'.

[caroline7758]

I love York Gate- shame it's not open very much.

[sweet-pea]

Yes, it was my first visit there and I'm definitely plannig another visit next year.  I got there just before opening and was quite amused by the volunteers fussing over me :-)

[Palustris]

Sorry did not look at this before now. The plant in Fascicularia bicolor. It is a reasonably hardy member of the Bromeliad family (Pineapples!). It needs a well drained spot in full sun.

[Tee Gee]

For those have never visited York Gate;

http://tinyurl.com/35nufl

[sweet-pea]

Sorry did not look at this before now. The plant in Fascicularia bicolor. It is a reasonably hardy member of the Bromeliad family (Pineapples!). It needs a well drained spot in full sun.

Thanks Palustris, mystery solved   ;D  You know, I have a bromeliad on my desk at work and I was just looking at it this morning and thinking that it had certain similarities to the plant at York gate.