Life Span
Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Grass
  
Cactus or Succulent
  
Origin
Japan
  
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico
  
Types
Not Available
  
Colville's Barrel Cactus, Long-spined Barrel Cactus, Barrel Cactus
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
meadows, Riverbanks, Wet Woods
  
limestone outcrops, Rocky areas, Semi desert
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-9
  
12-15
  
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 5
  
12-10
  
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
  
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
  
Habit
Clump-Forming
  
Oval or Rounded
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Blue Violet
  
Yellow, Magenta
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Not Available
  
Fruit Color
Purple
  
Pink, Red
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Yellow, Green, Light Green
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Orange, Yellow green, Orange Red
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green, Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Oblovate
  
Not Available
  
Thorns
No
  
Yes
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Growth Rate
Slow
  
Slow
  
Type of Soil
Loam
  
Loam, Sand
  
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
  
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
  
Repeat Bloomer
No
  
No
  
Tolerances
Dry soil, Shallow soil
  
Drought
  
Where to Plant?
Ground
  
Container, Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes
  
Seedlings
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist
  
Needs good drainage, Needs very little water, Water carefully
  
In Summer
Lots of watering
  
Lots of watering
  
In Spring
Consistently
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Adequately
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  
Soil Type
Loam
  
Loam, Sand
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Pruning
Prune grass to maintain level, Prune if you want to improve plant shape
  
No pruning needed
  
Fertilizers
organic fertlizers
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Pests and Diseases
Not Available
  
Red blotch
  
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas, Shallow soil, Wet Site
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Insignificant
  
Yes
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
No
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Bold
  
Foliage Sheen
Matte
  
Not Available
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
No
  
No
  
Attracts
Ants, Beetles, Caterpillar
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
allergic conjunctivitis, Asthma, Rash
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover
  
Showy Purposes
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
No
  
Insignificant
  
Environmental Uses
Provides ground cover, Shadow Tree
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Aging, Laxative
  
Not Available
  
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
  
Flowers
  
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Showy Purposes
  
Used as Ornamental plant
  
Used As Indoor Plant
Sometimes
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Water Gardens
  
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
  
Botanical Name
HAKONECHLOA macra 'Aureola'
  
ECHINOCACTUS horizonthalonius
  
Common Name
Golden Japanese Forest Grass, Hakone Grass
  
Devilshead, Turk's head cactus, Blue barrel cactus, Eagle's claw, Horse maimer, Horse crippler, Visnaga meloncillo
  
In Hindi
जापानी वन घास
  
Blue barrel cactus
  
In German
Japanische gras
  
Blau Faßkaktus
  
In French
Forêt herbe japonaise
  
Bleu barrel cactus
  
In Spanish
forestales hierba japonesa
  
biznaga Azul
  
In Greek
Ιαπωνικά γρασίδι δάσος
  
Μπλε βαρέλι κάκτος
  
In Portuguese
floresta grama japonês
  
cacto de tambor azul
  
In Polish
Japoński las lato
  
Niebieski baryłkę kaktus
  
In Latin
Forest gramina Italica
  
Blue Cactus
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Angiosperms
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Monocots
  
Magnoliopsida
  
Order
Poales
  
Caryophyllales
  
Family
Poaceae
  
Cactaceae
  
Genus
Hachanechloa
  
Echinocactus
  
Clade
Angiosperms
  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Cacteae
  
Subfamily
Arundinariinae
  
Cactaceae
  
Number of Species
Not Available