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Maidengrass

Miscanthus sinensis (miss-KANTH-us sy-NEN-sis)

Family: Poaceae Unknown Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

A big dramatic grass with soft arching leaves and showy flowers. And, it is highly infertile to prevent reseeding. Just like seedless bananas or seedless watermelon, this triploid miscanthus has all benefits without the baggage. More information on Miscanthus sinensis .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 40 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Cortaderia selloana Helictotrichon sempervirens Panicum virgatum 'Cloud Nine'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Clumping; Vase
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green; Orange
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Fine-textured arching green leaves
Flower color
Brown/Copper
Flower value
Good Cut; Good Dried; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower detail
Tan colored seed heads add interest to the garden.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
This plant is highly resistant to deer grazing.
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Pond
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Water Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border; Foundation Planting; Mass Planting; Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#drought tolerant #ornamental grass #deer resistant #arching #nci #clumping
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Deer; Drought

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.