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Silvergrasses (Miscanthus)
Silvergrasses are a group of tall-growing, mostly temperate-climate grasses with silvery-green foliage and dramatic plumes. Their beauty and hardiness make them quite distinctive from other grasses and make for popular garden plants and houseplants. However, these species are also practical, being used for roof thatching, crafts, paper products, and biofuels. In Japan, silvergrasses is often symbolic of the early harvest season (roughly late summer through early fall).
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Herb/Vine
Key Facts About Silvergrasses
Feedback
Attributes of Silvergrasses
Plant Height
2 m
Spread
2 m
Leaf type
Deciduous
Scientific Classification of Silvergrasses
Distribution of Silvergrasses
Feedback
Distribution Map of Silvergrasses
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Silvergrasses
Feedback
Silvergrasses, a diverse genus of hardy ornamental grasses, requires minimal maintenance and is praised for its adaptability. Basic care involves full sun exposure, moderate watering, well-drained fertile soil, and temperatures that mirror their native Asian climates. Common challenges include potential vulnerability to pests like aphids and diseases such as rust. It's drought and frost resistant but benefits from yearly pruning in early spring. Throughout summer, silvergrasses can handle higher temperatures and during autumn, it offers unique seasonal colors. However, winter care needs vary by species and locale.
How to Water Silvergrasses?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Silvergrasses?
How to Propagate Silvergrasses?
How to Plant Silvergrasses?
Exploring the Silvergrasses Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Chinese silver grass
Chinese silver grass is a perennial grass that can grow 91 to 213 cm. It forms dense clumps from an underground rhizome. The chinese silver grass is grown mainly as an ornamental grass, with silvery leaves and flowers that vary in color based on the cultivar. Be careful where you plant this type of grass; in some zones it can become invasive.
Pacific island silvergrass
Pacific island silvergrass is a perennial whose stems are often used to make fences around houses. It can grow as high as 2.5 m to 3.5 m and is often used as an accent in larger landscapes. It attracts songbirds and is used as a drying rack for tobacco in the Philippines. It is also used as the outer walls on houses in Papua New Guinea.
Amur silver grass
Amur silver grass (Miscanthus sacchariflorus) is a tall grass that grows via rhizomes into large clumps. Its growth is dense enough to use as a windbreak, or for shading in ornamental gardens. This plant isn't considered invasive but its dense growth can crowd out other species in its favored wet disturbed habitats.
Chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten'
Chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten' gracefully adorns gardens with its towering, feather-like plumes, ranging in hues from reddish-purple to silvery-pink. Its elegant, arching foliage is marked distinctly by narrow, green leaves that transition to a vibrant orange as autumn arrives. Thriving in full sun, chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten' stands resilient against the chill, creating a captivating visual symphony that sways with the wind, bringing dynamic movement and enduring color to temperate landscapes.
Miscanthus ogiformis
Miscanthus ogiformis is a type of grass that is a hybrid of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus. It was first found in humid environments in Korea.
Chinese silver grass 'Flamingo'
Chinese silver grass 'Flamingo' is a stunning ornamental grass with variegated pink and white foliage. This grass is a popular choice for landscaping and is known for its ability to adapt well to different soil types and growing conditions. In addition to its visual appeal, chinese silver grass 'Flamingo' is also drought tolerant and attracts birds with its seed heads.
Chinese silver grass 'Morning Light'
Chinese silver grass 'Morning Light' is a popular ornamental grass cultivar of Chinese silver grass. Bred to grow in a tighter, vase-shaped, club pattern, it stands out well in gardens. It also has small purplish flowers in summer. This cultivar was named for its characteristic silvery color, reminiscent of hazy morning light.
Chinese silver grass 'Gold Bar'
Overall, the chinese silver grass 'Gold Bar' has densely banded foliage, is upright, and a short cultivar that sets it apart from its parent plant. It was presumably named 'Gold Bar' due to the yellow bands on its leaf blade. Gardeners keep the chinese silver grass 'Gold Bar' for hedging and its prominent gold banding.
All Species of Silvergrasses
Chinese silver grass
Chinese silver grass
Chinese silver grass is a perennial grass that can grow 91 to 213 cm. It forms dense clumps from an underground rhizome. The chinese silver grass is grown mainly as an ornamental grass, with silvery leaves and flowers that vary in color based on the cultivar. Be careful where you plant this type of grass; in some zones it can become invasive.
Pacific island silvergrass
Pacific island silvergrass
Pacific island silvergrass is a perennial whose stems are often used to make fences around houses. It can grow as high as 2.5 m to 3.5 m and is often used as an accent in larger landscapes. It attracts songbirds and is used as a drying rack for tobacco in the Philippines. It is also used as the outer walls on houses in Papua New Guinea.
Amur silver grass
Amur silver grass
Amur silver grass (Miscanthus sacchariflorus) is a tall grass that grows via rhizomes into large clumps. Its growth is dense enough to use as a windbreak, or for shading in ornamental gardens. This plant isn't considered invasive but its dense growth can crowd out other species in its favored wet disturbed habitats.
Chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten'
Chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten'
Chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten' gracefully adorns gardens with its towering, feather-like plumes, ranging in hues from reddish-purple to silvery-pink. Its elegant, arching foliage is marked distinctly by narrow, green leaves that transition to a vibrant orange as autumn arrives. Thriving in full sun, chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten' stands resilient against the chill, creating a captivating visual symphony that sways with the wind, bringing dynamic movement and enduring color to temperate landscapes.
Miscanthus ogiformis
Miscanthus ogiformis
Miscanthus ogiformis is a type of grass that is a hybrid of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus. It was first found in humid environments in Korea.
Chinese silver grass 'Flamingo'
Chinese silver grass 'Flamingo'
Chinese silver grass 'Flamingo' is a stunning ornamental grass with variegated pink and white foliage. This grass is a popular choice for landscaping and is known for its ability to adapt well to different soil types and growing conditions. In addition to its visual appeal, chinese silver grass 'Flamingo' is also drought tolerant and attracts birds with its seed heads.
Chinese silver grass 'Morning Light'
Chinese silver grass 'Morning Light'
Chinese silver grass 'Morning Light' is a popular ornamental grass cultivar of Chinese silver grass. Bred to grow in a tighter, vase-shaped, club pattern, it stands out well in gardens. It also has small purplish flowers in summer. This cultivar was named for its characteristic silvery color, reminiscent of hazy morning light.
Chinese silver grass 'Gold Bar'
Chinese silver grass 'Gold Bar'
Overall, the chinese silver grass 'Gold Bar' has densely banded foliage, is upright, and a short cultivar that sets it apart from its parent plant. It was presumably named 'Gold Bar' due to the yellow bands on its leaf blade. Gardeners keep the chinese silver grass 'Gold Bar' for hedging and its prominent gold banding.
Japanese silver grass
Japanese silver grass
An award-winning plant commonly grown as an ornamental grass, it’s easy to spot japanese silver grass in the garden. Its upright growth habit and uniquely colored foliage set it apart from other plants in the genus.
Chinese silver grass 'Silberfeder'
Chinese silver grass 'Silberfeder'
Chinese silver grass 'Silberfeder' is a cultivar of Chinese silver grass whose name translates from German as ‘silver pen’ because Its stalks take on a distinctive, silvery hue, more marked than that of the parent plant. This tall, hardy ornamental grass grows to a height of 2.5 m.
Chinese silver grass 'Malepartus'
Chinese silver grass 'Malepartus'
Chinese silver grass 'Malepartus' is a cultivar of Chinese silver grass with a characteristic white line down the central stalk. This grass produces dark red- and brown-colored blooms, for which the cultivar is named. These differ from the light-colored blooms of its parent plant. These attractive flowers are particularly prized at sunset, when the diffuse light creates a spectacular glowing effect.
Chinese silver grass 'Zebrinus'
Chinese silver grass 'Zebrinus'
Chinese silver grass 'Zebrinus' is a Chinese silver grass hybrid also know as zebra-grass because of its unique striped yellow and dark green stems which have been carefully cultivated to differ from the plain green color of the parent plant. This is a versatile ornamental grass originating in East Asia. It’s popular with farmers because of its striking appearance and its resistance to disease and pests.
Chinese silver grass 'Cosmopolitan'
Chinese silver grass 'Cosmopolitan'
Chinese silver grass 'Cosmopolitan' is a cultivar of Chinese silver grass. Its arching green and white variegated leaves make this cultivar easy to differentiate from the original species. Compared to other varieties, chinese silver grass 'Cosmopolitan' has thicker leaves giving the plant a fuller appearance. It is specifically bred to be an ornamental garden plant.
Chinese silver grass
Chinese silver grass
While its growth habit resembles other species in the genus, it’s the color of the arching plumes that sets it apart. Chinese silver grass is often found growing as an ornamental grass or a statement plant in full-sun gardens.
Chinese silver grass 'Gracillimus'
Chinese silver grass 'Gracillimus'
Chinese silver grass 'Gracillimus' is a cultivar of Chinese silver grass that has a distinctive white stripe on each blade, and purple-tinged flowers. The parent species is a plain green color and doesn’t have the same purple flowers. This cultivar is called Gracillimus after the Italian phrase "Grazie Mille," or "thank you."
Himalayan fairy grass
Himalayan fairy grass
Himalayan fairy grass is a perennial grass known for its tall, elegant stature, with tufted clumps of arching leaves and feathery flower heads that catch the light, creating a subtle, shimmering effect in the landscape. Originating from the mountainous terrains of Nepal, himalayan fairy grass has adapted to cooler climates and thrives in well-drained soils, embodying resilience and grace.
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
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About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Silvergrasses
Miscanthus
Silvergrasses are a group of tall-growing, mostly temperate-climate grasses with silvery-green foliage and dramatic plumes. Their beauty and hardiness make them quite distinctive from other grasses and make for popular garden plants and houseplants. However, these species are also practical, being used for roof thatching, crafts, paper products, and biofuels. In Japan, silvergrasses is often symbolic of the early harvest season (roughly late summer through early fall).
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Herb/Vine
Key Facts About Silvergrasses
Feedback
Attributes of Silvergrasses
Plant Height
2 m
Spread
2 m
Leaf type
Deciduous
Scientific Classification of Silvergrasses
Distribution of Silvergrasses
Feedback
Distribution Map of Silvergrasses
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Silvergrasses
Feedback
Silvergrasses, a diverse genus of hardy ornamental grasses, requires minimal maintenance and is praised for its adaptability. Basic care involves full sun exposure, moderate watering, well-drained fertile soil, and temperatures that mirror their native Asian climates. Common challenges include potential vulnerability to pests like aphids and diseases such as rust. It's drought and frost resistant but benefits from yearly pruning in early spring. Throughout summer, silvergrasses can handle higher temperatures and during autumn, it offers unique seasonal colors. However, winter care needs vary by species and locale.
How to Water Silvergrasses?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Silvergrasses?
How to Propagate Silvergrasses?
How to Plant Silvergrasses?
Exploring the Silvergrasses Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Chinese silver grass
Chinese silver grass is a perennial grass that can grow 91 to 213 cm. It forms dense clumps from an underground rhizome. The chinese silver grass is grown mainly as an ornamental grass, with silvery leaves and flowers that vary in color based on the cultivar. Be careful where you plant this type of grass; in some zones it can become invasive.
Pacific island silvergrass
Pacific island silvergrass is a perennial whose stems are often used to make fences around houses. It can grow as high as 2.5 m to 3.5 m and is often used as an accent in larger landscapes. It attracts songbirds and is used as a drying rack for tobacco in the Philippines. It is also used as the outer walls on houses in Papua New Guinea.
Amur silver grass
Amur silver grass (Miscanthus sacchariflorus) is a tall grass that grows via rhizomes into large clumps. Its growth is dense enough to use as a windbreak, or for shading in ornamental gardens. This plant isn't considered invasive but its dense growth can crowd out other species in its favored wet disturbed habitats.
Chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten'
Chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten' gracefully adorns gardens with its towering, feather-like plumes, ranging in hues from reddish-purple to silvery-pink. Its elegant, arching foliage is marked distinctly by narrow, green leaves that transition to a vibrant orange as autumn arrives. Thriving in full sun, chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten' stands resilient against the chill, creating a captivating visual symphony that sways with the wind, bringing dynamic movement and enduring color to temperate landscapes.
Show More Species
All Species of Silvergrasses
Chinese silver grass
Pacific island silvergrass
Amur silver grass
Chinese silver grass 'Ferner Osten'
Miscanthus ogiformis
Chinese silver grass 'Flamingo'
Chinese silver grass 'Morning Light'
Chinese silver grass 'Gold Bar'
Japanese silver grass
Chinese silver grass 'Silberfeder'
Chinese silver grass 'Malepartus'
Chinese silver grass 'Zebrinus'
Chinese silver grass 'Cosmopolitan'
Chinese silver grass
Chinese silver grass 'Gracillimus'
Himalayan fairy grass
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
