Miscanthus 'Gracillimus'

Miscanthus 'Gracillimus': The Original Slender Maiden Grass

'Gracillimus' is the grass that went to finishing school and never once tripped on the stairs. Very fine, arching blades with silver midribs, swaying like they're always being photographed. ELEGANCE IS NOT OPTIONAL.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus'
• Common Name: Maiden Grass
• Height: 150–180 cm (5–6 ft) in flower
• Spread: 100–120 cm (3.5–4 ft)
• Flowers: Feathery plumes that open coppery-purple and mature to silver, then buff
• Bloom Time: Late summer to fall (August to October), with plumes lasting into winter
• Foliage: Very narrow, arching green blades with a silver-white midrib, turning golden to tan in fall
• Features: Good for cutting and drying

Where to Plant: Use it alone in a sunny bed, at the corner of a house, or repeated along a long border to give the eye a rhythm. Its fine texture softens hard lines like walls, steps and fences, and the tan foliage is worth leaving up for winter.

Companion Plants: Use 'Gracillimus' as a fine, arching backdrop for a sunny or part-shade bed of long-blooming flowers. Geum 'Koi' edges the front with bright orange flowers at 20 to 25 cm from May to September. Geranium 'Rozanne' adds violet-blue saucers at 45 to 50 cm from June to September. Hemerocallis 'Bela Lugosi' brings dark purple daylilies at 75 to 85 cm in July and August. Anemone 'Curtain Call Pink' adds rose-pink anemones at 36 to 46 cm in August and September.

Plant Care: Plant it in full sun in average, well-drained soil. In too much shade, or in very rich soil, the clump can flop open in late summer. Water regularly during the first season. After that, it only needs help in long dry spells. Leave it standing all winter. Cut it back to about 10–15 cm (4–6 in) in early spring, before new shoots appear. Divide in spring if the centre starts to hollow out. Maiden grass can self-seed in long, warm seasons. Pull any seedlings while they're small.

History: Miscanthus sinensis comes from eastern Asia, and 'Gracillimus' is often described as the oldest and best-known maiden grass selection. Its name is Latin for "most slender," a fair description of its leaves.

Final Thoughts: Leave the plumes up all winter and it still looks put together in a snowbank, while the deer stay away. GRACE UNDER PRESSURE, AND UNDER SNOW.