Briza media

Enthusiasts of dried bouquets and wild gardens are well acquainted with  Briza media, or Quaking Grass. This light grass has trailing flowering spikes that sway with the slightest breeze, delighting the ear with their whispers. Its pyramidal panicles are composed of heart-shaped spikes, initially green tinged with purple, then turning straw yellow.  A wonderful hardy perennial, tolerant of difficult conditions, suited to all types of 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. 

Hardy to -20°C (1°F) in well-drained soil, Quaking Grass is a perfect plant anywhere, due to its easy cultivation and graceful flowers. This grass grows well with flowering perennials and annuals, such as linaria, penstemon, field daisies, love-in-a-mist, cosmos, and 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.