Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra), comes from Honshu where it chooses to grow in a damp, cliff environment. In US gardens, it's a great plant for shady, damp areas of the garden such as North-facing courtyards, and this ornamental, though relatively minimalistic in its appearance is truly elegant. It'såÊat its best when planted en masse to form a lush meadow of neatly packed, glossy grass blades, but it also combines well with other ornamental grasses or can be used as an edging for shady beds. The tiny, lime-green flowers rise above the leaves in summer, giving the plants a soft and misty appearance.