Miscanthus × giganteus

Miscanthus × giganteus: Sterile Giant That Hides the Shed

Giant Miscanthus grows into a living privacy wall fast enough to make a fence contractor nervous. Long, broad, arching leaves on stout stems. THE NOSY NEIGHBOUR HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY CANCELLED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Miscanthus × giganteus (sometimes sold as M. floridulus or M. 'Giganteus')
• Common Name: Giant Miscanthus
• Height: 250–350 cm (8–12 ft)
• Spread: 120–180 cm (4–6 ft), slowly widening by rhizomes
• Flowers: Pinkish plumes that age to silvery white; not produced every year in short-season gardens
• Bloom Time: Late summer to fall (August to October)
• Foliage: Long, broad, arching green leaves with a silvery midrib, on stout upright stems. Tan in winter.
• Features: Very tall, fast screen, sterile seed

Where to Plant: Use it as a seasonal screen or windbreak, to hide a shed or air conditioner, or as a giant specimen at the back of a large border. Give it plenty of room, since it's not for a small bed.

Companion Plants: Use giant miscanthus as a fast summer screen at the back of a big sunny bed, with peonies and daisies in front. Geranium macrorrhizum 'Bevan's Variety' carpets the front at 20 to 30 cm with magenta flowers from May to July. Paeonia 'Claire de Lune' opens pale yellow single peonies at 70 to 90 cm in May and June. Anemone 'Dainty Swan' adds white, purple-backed anemones at 46 to 61 cm from June to September. Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' brings golden black-eyed Susans at 60 to 70 cm from July to September.

Plant Care: Plant it in full sun, in average to moist, well-drained soil. It's slow to start in spring, so be patient; it puts on most of its height in summer heat. Water well through the first season. Young plants are most at risk in their first winter, so plant in spring and mulch the crown the first fall. Leave the stems standing for winter screening and interest, then cut them back to about 10–15 cm (4–6 in) in early spring. Heavy winds and snow can break some stems by late winter. The clump widens slowly by rhizomes; use a sharp spade to divide or trim the edges in spring.

History: Giant miscanthus is a sterile natural hybrid between Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus, both native to eastern Asia, so it can only be grown from divisions. Besides being a garden screen, it's grown on farms in Europe and North America as a biomass crop.

Final Thoughts: Sterile seed means no surprise babies around the yard, and deer ignore it. Plant a row and enjoy your new secret garden. HIDE AND SEEK CHAMPION.