Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' — 17cm / 2L17cm / 2L
Japanese Forest Grass

Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'

£12.99
Very hardyShade-tolerantRHS award winner
Pot size
17cm / 2L £12.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

The Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' is the definitive golden Japanese forest grass and an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. This is the one that made hakone grass famous: a deciduous, clump-forming grass with narrow, arching leaves of glowing gold finely pin-striped in green, all cascading in the same direction to form a soft, flowing mound. Few plants light up a shady spot so beautifully, and it is the star of our range of ornamental grasses.

Behind the delicate looks is a genuinely tough, fully hardy grass. Rated RHS H7, it withstands the severest British winters, well below -20C once established. Being deciduous, it dies back over winter and reshoots each spring, the gold leaves often taking on lovely reddish tints in autumn and early winter before they fade. For how our hardy plants behave through the seasons, see our guide to what to expect from hardy exotics.

Water regularly through the first couple of summers to settle it in, then it becomes wonderfully low maintenance. Its flowing, luminous habit makes it perfect for brightening the front of exotic borders, edging a shady path, or planted in drifts under trees among other plants for shade. It is a classic container plant too, tumbling elegantly over the rim, so it ranks among our finest plants for pots and patios. For an even fierier partner, pair it with Hakonechloa macra 'Sunflare'.

Whether you want the definitive golden grass or a centrepiece for a planting of hardy exotics, 'Aureola' is a timeless choice. Every plant we supply is nursery-grown, carefully selected for a healthy crown and strong roots, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Japanese Forest Grass

Give me sun with a little shade and the coldest UK winters do not worry me.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Japanese Forest Grass

Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' needs partial shade or full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It is very hardy, standing the coldest UK winters outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H7 · Hardy Exotic · below −20°C

fully hardy in the UK; simply comb out the faded foliage in late winter.

Position

Partial shadeFull sunNorth-facingEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingExposedSheltered

partial shade is ideal, where the gold glows without scorching; a little filtered sun intensifies the yellow, while deep shade turns it more lime green.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

any moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil, from chalk to clay, across the full pH range.

Watering

Keep the rootball reliably moist through the first two summers while it establishes and never let it bake dry. Once settled it is low maintenance. Simply comb out or cut away the faded foliage in late winter before the fresh leaves unfurl. Read moreShow less

Keep the rootball reliably moist through the first two summers while it establishes and never let it bake dry. Once settled it is low maintenance. Simply comb out or cut away the faded foliage in late winter before the fresh leaves unfurl.

Mature size

Height30-40 cm
Spread40-45 cm

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Flowering

Aug to Sep (insignificant) · Green

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Deciduous, so simply comb out or cut away the faded foliage in late winter before the fresh leaves unfurl.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets; Hakonechloa is generally considered non-toxic and is a pet-friendly, family-friendly grass.

Native range

Japan

Family

Poaceae

Also known as

Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'

Genus

Hakonechloa
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' fully hardy in the UK?

Yes. 'Aureola' is rated RHS H7, the top hardiness band, so it withstands the severest British winters, well below -20C once established. It is deciduous, dying back over winter and reshooting each spring. See our guide to what to expect from hardy exotics.

Does 'Aureola' hold an RHS Award of Garden Merit?

Yes. 'Aureola' holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, a mark of a reliable, garden-worthy plant, and is the best known of all the golden Japanese forest grasses.

Where should I plant 'Aureola' for the best colour?

Partial shade is ideal, where the gold-and-green variegation glows without scorching. A little filtered sun intensifies the yellow, while deep shade turns it more lime green. It is perfect for lighting up a shady spot among other plants for shade.

How big does 'Aureola' get and how fast?

It forms a neat, cascading mound to about 30 to 40 cm tall and 40 to 45 cm across. It is a slow, steady grower, taking around 5 to 10 years to reach full size, and is clump-forming rather than invasive.

Can I grow 'Aureola' in a pot?

Yes, it is a classic container plant, its golden leaves tumbling elegantly over the rim. Use a humus-rich, moisture-retentive compost and keep it watered through summer. Browse more plants for pots and patios.

How is 'Aureola' different from 'All Gold'?

'Aureola' has gold leaves finely striped with green and prefers partial shade, while Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' is solid, unstriped gold with a more upright habit that takes more sun. Choose 'Aureola' for the classic variegated look.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'
£12.99