Miscanthus 'Huron Sunrise'
- In stock, ready for delivery
HEADS UP. THIS ONE CAN SELF-SEED.
Maiden grass is on Ontario's invasive plant list because its seed can blow into natural areas. In the garden it stays a tidy clump. If you live near woodland, meadow or water, cut the plumes off in fall before they drop seed.
Miscanthus 'Huron Sunrise': Canadian Roots, Burgundy-Red Plumes
This maiden grass sends up full, burgundy-red plumes that look like the sky at dawn, then ages them to silver like it has been up all night. EARLY RISER, LATE NIGHT, STILL GORGEOUS.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Miscanthus sinensis 'Huron Sunrise'
- Common Name: Maiden Grass
- Height: 150â180 cm (5â6 ft) in flower
- Spread: 60â90 cm (2â3 ft)
- Flowers: Large, full plumes that open burgundy-red and age to silver
- Bloom Time: Late summer to fall (August to October), with plumes lasting into winter
- Foliage: Deep green blades with silver midribs, drying to almond in winter
- Features: Rabbit resistant, good for cutting and drying
Where to Plant: Use it as a specimen, in groups along the back of a border or as a seasonal screen. Its narrower footprint fits mid-sized gardens better than the giant maiden grasses, and it tolerates clay soil.
Companion Plants: Plant 'Huron Sunrise' behind a sunny or part-shade bed of white daisies, coral phlox and orange geum. Geum TEMPOâą 'Orange' opens orange flowers at 23 to 38 cm from April to June. Phlox Super Ka-Powâą Coral adds coral heads at 45 to 50 cm from June to August. Leucanthemum 'Becky' brings big white daisies at 90 to 100 cm from June to August. Hemerocallis 'Joan Senior' adds near-white daylilies at 60 to 65 cm in July and August.
Plant Care: Plant it in full sun for the best plume show. It accepts sandy, average or clay soil as long as it doesn't sit in standing water. Water regularly through the first season, then during long dry spells. Leave the plumes standing over winter. Cut the clump back to about 10 cm (4 in) in late winter or early spring. Divide in spring when the clump gets crowded or the centre thins out.
History: 'Huron Sunrise' was developed in Ontario by Martin Quinn, which makes it one of the few maiden grasses with Canadian roots. The species, Miscanthus sinensis, is native to eastern Asia.
Final Thoughts: Leave the dried blades standing through winter and enjoy the almond tones. Deer and rabbits take a pass. SET YOUR ALARM FOR THIS ONE.