Weed of the Month | Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis)

Native to eastern Asia, Chinese silver grass is probably one of the most widely planted ornamental grasses of all time and it’s easy to see why. Its impressive size, 4-9 feet tall and 3-6 feet wide, the plumes of pinkish flowers that appear in July and fade to beige in late fall and winter, its ability to be easily grown in almost any soil in full sun or partial shade, the dozens of dwarf and variegated varieties from which to choose, and its deer resistance, all combined to make an ideal landscape plant for grower and consumer alike. With a fountain-like growth habit, it makes a great specimen but also can be massed in borders, meadows and other naturalistic gardens.

Though Chinese silver grass forms large clumps and does not spread by underground roots or rhizomes, it often re-seeds in the warmer parts of its Zone 4-9 range and becomes invasive, colonizing disturbed sites, old fields, roadsides, railroad rights of way, and woodland edges. Naturalized in 25 states, it has been placed on several Do Not Plant lists. In New York, the Department of Environmental Conservation recommends that Chinese silver grass should not be planted. Its invasiveness reduces diversity of native grassland species and native understories. In Long Island’s pine barrens, it has colonized much of the understory and has increased the risk from wildfires.

Miscanthus can be controlled by mowing or cutting repeatedly for 1-2 seasons, by grazing, by smothering with heavy tarps and by digging it out, easily done when plants are small but often a herculean effort when clumps are mature and large.

Equally attractive native alternatives for Chinese silver grass include switch grass (Panicum virgatum) and Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) and their many varieties, as well as big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii).