Miscanthus sinensis Seeds | Silver Grass

Silver Grass seeds (Miscanthus sinensis)

LATIN NAME: Miscanthus sinensis

COMMON NAME: Silver Grass

Plant Profile

Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) is a tall, clump-forming perennial grass of the family Poaceae, native to the hills and meadows of East Asia. It rises 1-3 m, with arching, white-midribbed blades and silky, fan-shaped plumes that open pinkish-silver in autumn and persist into winter. It is a parent of the biomass crop Miscanthus × giganteus and one of the most important ornamental grasses of temperate gardens.

Science & Biotechnology

As part of the grass family, Miscanthus sinensis contributes to research on plant classification and adaptation, while nurseries and gardeners continue to trial it for cultivation. Tall, silky plumes of silver grass give it a recognised place in research on ornamental and energy grasses of grass family, and sinensis species appears in studies of biomass chemistry and low-input growth. A long cultivation history means growers know what to expect from it.

Uses & Benefits

Beyond its ornamental appeal, Silver Grass has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. In sunny border and naturalistic planting, silver grass fountains late-summer garden with silky plumes. Plumes catch light and frost and hold structure through cold months, grass screens and shelters, and biomass serves fuels and the mulches. It grows well in well-drained, sunny ground. Once it has settled, the workload drops to almost nothing.

Silvergrass is a premier ornamental grass and a leading biomass energy crop, yielding fiber, biofuel feedstock and winter structure for the garden.

Growing from Seed

Sow fresh seed of Silver Grass under ordinary good conditions. Use a fine, free-draining seed compost, scatter the seed evenly, cover it lightly and hold it just moist in good light. Prick the seedlings out once they are large enough to handle, grow them on in bright light, and plant out when conditions allow.

Our Take

It forms a grass, which makes spacing and siting straightforward. Given the right start, Silver Grass is a long-term garden companion. In a sunny, freely drained position it needs little looking after.

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