Miscanthus sinensis ‘Grosse Fontane’ (Chinese Silver Grass)

Tall and majestic, award-winner Chinese Silver Grass ‘Grosse Fontane’ (Miscanthus sinensis) or ‘Large Fountain’ in English, is an impressive ornamental grass with attractive, airy plumes which emerge red in mid to late summer and turn shiny silvery-white in the fall. Remaining attractive all winter, they rise well above a graceful variegated foliage of long, arching green leaves, with white midribs running the length of each leaf, which turns to eye-catching orange, red, and purple shades in the fall. Standing out beautifully in the garden and providing a wonderful winter interest, you may want to treat this attractive Maiden Grass as a specimen plant.

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
• Deciduous, this perennial grass easily grows in a dense, upright clump up to 8 feet tall (240 cm) and 5 ft. wide (150 cm). Give it plenty of room as its rounded, arching mound of foliage takes up space!
• Performs best in full sun in moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soils. Protect from excessive winter wet. Drought and salt tolerant once established.
• It is versatile and can be used as a graceful accent plant in the garden, massed to create screens or hedges, or planted in borders, coastal gardens, city gardens, cottage gardens, or prairie plantings.
• This Chinese Silver Grass is generally pest and disease free. It is deer and rabbit resistant but attracts birds.
• Cut foliage to the ground in late winter before new shoots appear. Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in spring or by division in spring.
• Native to Asia, the species form of Miscanthus sinensis is invasive in several US states. The invasive potential is of less concern for many of its ornamental cultivars, some of which are sterile. However, as a general rule, do not plant more than one cultivar on your property, and use only a vegetatively propagated cultivar that has shown little or no evidence of self-seeding in your area.
• Discover beautiful U.S. native plant alternatives.