Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd
Briza Maxima - Quaking Grass
Briza Maxima - Quaking Grass
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Briza Maxima Seeds (Quaking Grass)
Briza Maxima is not just a plant you look at; it's a plant you listen to. Known as 'Quaking Grass', it produces slender, arching stems hung with oversized, heart-shaped seed heads that look like silver-green lockets.
These "lockets" are suspended on tiny, hair-like pedicels that allow them to tremble and dance in the slightest breeze, creating a gentle, rustling sound that mimics falling rain. As the season progresses, the heads ripen from silvery-green to a warm, golden biscuit colour. It is a must-have for dried flower arrangers, adding texture, movement, and a touch of whimsy to any display.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Briza Maxima is a Hardy Annual Grass.
Do not confuse it with Briza media (Common Quaking Grass), which is a smaller perennial. Briza maxima (Greater Quaking Grass) is the showy one—it grows fast, produces much larger "hearts," and completes its life cycle in one season.
The "Rattlesnake": In the US, it is sometimes called Rattlesnake Grass because of the dry rustling sound the seed heads make as they mature.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
This is an easy grass to grow from seed, often self-seeding if happy.
Germination:
Sow directly outdoors in Autumn (Sept) for bigger, earlier plants next year, or Spring (March-May) for summer blooms. Scatter seeds onto raked soil and cover lightly. Germination takes 14-21 days.
Where to Sow:
It prefers **full sun** and well-drained soil. It is very drought tolerant once established and looks fantastic growing in gravel gardens or through paving cracks.
Care While Growing:
It requires almost no maintenance. It doesn't need staking (it's meant to arch) and doesn't need feeding. Just let it dance!
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Briza maxima |
| Common Name | Greater Quaking Grass / Pearl Grass |
| Hardiness | H3 (Hardy Annual - tolerates light frost) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 45cm - 60cm |
| Spread | ↔️ 30cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 25cm apart |
| Great for | 🍂 Dried Flowers ✂️ Cut Flowers 🎶 Sensory Gardens 🌾 Meadow Style |
| Seed Count | Approx. 250 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
Briza adds a soft, relaxed texture that works beautifully with "meadow" flowers:
- 🌌 Scabious 'Black Knight': The Moody Meadow. The dark burgundy pincushions of the Scabious look incredible poking through the shimmering, pale green grass. A florist's favourite combo.
- 🔵 Linum 'Blue Dress' (Flax): The Weaver. Flax produces fine stems with true blue flowers. When mixed with Briza, they weave together to create a light, airy tapestry that moves in the wind.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow outdoors in autumn or spring. Flowers June to August.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||
| Flowering | 🌾 | 🌾 | 🌾 |
⚠️ Drying Tip
Pick the stems while they are still shimmering green or just starting to turn gold. If you wait until they are fully brown, the little hearts may shatter and fall off.
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
This variety holds the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit, certifying it as a reliable, easy-to-grow plant that performs exceptionally well in British gardens.
