Miscanthus 'Zebrinus'
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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 'Zebrinus': Give It Room and Watch It Arch
Zebra Grass has long, arching blades banded in yellow, like it couldn't choose between a striped suit and a ponytail and went with both. Coppery-pink plumes finish the look. TALL, STRIPED AND NOT SORRY.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus'
- Common Name: Zebra Grass
- Height: 180â210 cm (6â7 ft) in flower
- Spread: 120â150 cm (4â5 ft)
- Flowers: Coppery-pink plumes that mature to silver and last into winter
- Bloom Time: Late summer to fall (August to October)
- Foliage: Long, arching green blades with horizontal yellow bands, turning gold to tan in fall
- Features: Good for cutting and drying
Where to Plant: Give zebra grass room to arch as a specimen in a lawn or large bed, at the back of a deep border, or near a pond where the leaves can spill toward the water. Several in a row make a casual summer screen.
Companion Plants: Plant 'Zebrinus' behind a sunny or part-shade bed of pink phlox, peonies and fall anemones. Phlox Center of Attentionâą adds pink and raspberry heads at 45 to 60 cm from June to August. Paeonia 'PrimevĂšre' opens white and pale yellow anemone-form peonies at 90 cm in May and June. Hemerocallis 'Cool It' brings orange daylilies at 65 to 80 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 to moist, well-drained soil. In too much shade, or rich soil, the clump flops open in late summer. If yours tends to lean, a hidden ring of stakes or a loose tie helps. Water regularly through the first season, then during long dry spells. Leave it up for winter interest. Cut it back to about 10â15 cm (4â6 in) in early spring, before new growth appears. Divide in spring every few years to keep the clump vigorous.
History: Miscanthus sinensis is native to eastern Asia, and 'Zebrinus' has long been a garden favourite whose Latin name simply means "zebra-like." It's the arching cousin of the more upright 'Strictus'.
Final Thoughts: Plant it at the back for height, cut the plumes for dried arrangements and let the deer walk on by. EARN YOUR STRIPES.