Height

Chinese Silver Grass is a tall, densely bunched, perennial grass, 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) in height.

Stem

Stems are upright-to-arching, originating in tufts from base and unbranched. They are covered with overlapping leaf sheaths until stem appears with flower plume in late summer.

Leaves

Leaves are alternate, long linear, upright-to-arching (persisting and curly tipped when dried) to 40 inches (1 m) long and less than 0.8 inch (2 cm) wide. Blades are green to variegated (light green striped) with whitish collars and a white midvein above and green ridged beneath. Tufted hairs appear at the throat, sheath margins, and ligule, but otherwise leaves are hairless. The margins are rough.

Flowers

From August to November, the plant produces much branched and drooping terminal plumed panicles, 4 to 15 inches (10 to 38 cm) long and 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm) wide. They are silvery to pinkish and showiest in fall. Stalk is appressed rough hairy.

Seeds

September to January. The grain is hidden, with membranous husks, yellowish brown to slightly reddish, sparsely hairy, with twisted tip. Dried grass stands with some seed heads during winter, but seed viability is spotty.

Images

Photo: James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
More images of Miscanthus sinensis

Chinese silver grass is a tall, densely bunched, perennial grass, 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) in height. Long-slender upright-to-arching leaves have whitish upper midveins. Many loosely plumed panicles in late summer turn silvery to pinkish in fall. Dried grass stands with some seed heads during winter, but seed viability is spotty. It is a member of the Poaceae or Grass family.

Ecology and Habitat

Chinese silver grass forms extensive infestations by escaping from older ornamental plantings to roadsides, forest margins, and adjacent disturbed sites, especially after burning. It is shade tolerant. Highly flammable, it is a fire hazard.

Origin and Distribution

Introduced from eastern Asia, it is widely sold and increasingly planted as an ornamental. Several varieties are imported and sold. New cultivars are assumed to be mostly sterile.

Other states where invasive: WI, IL, IN, KY, VA, MD, NJ, PA, CT, NC, SC, GA. Federal or state listed as noxious weed, prohibited, invasive or banned: CT.

Source: Information on this plant page is derived primarily from James H. Miller’s Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests, USDA Forest Service.

Herbicidal Controls

Foliar Spray Method

Thoroughly wet all leaves with one of the following herbicides in water with a surfactant (September or October with multiple applications to regrowth):
Arsenal AC* as a 1-percent solution (4 ounces per 3-gallon mix)
A glyphosate herbicide as a 2-percent solution (8 ounces per 3-gallon mix)
A combination of the two herbicides

*Nontarget plants may be killed or injured by root uptake.