Spectacular, clump forming autumn flowering grasses with good winter presence. Many look good from August to March when they need cutting hard back, to near ground level. No staking required especially in exposed gardens.
We are currently in the process of collecting Miscanthus, with the hope of applying for National Plant Collection ® status in the future. We already have c. 100 varieties and are working on obtaining more - there are at least 250 named forms now! We are also researching all the varieties, specifically to try and find out the origin of each form. Over the next couple of years we hope to start planting the Miscanthus collection out in a new area of field adjacent to the nursery which will enable all our varieties to be seen together.
Miscanthus come in many different shapes and sizes, though the basic form doesn't change much: tight clumps with often woody bases, upright stems clothed with leaves to about 75% of their height, the flowers held above the foliage in late summer and autumn. The height, uprightness and flower details are the main differences between varieties but there are a large number of leaf variations too, both variegated leaves and width of leaf. There are a very small number of forms that are not clump forming. Generally speaking Miscanthus are very long lived, trouble free garden grasses.
We recommend allowing Miscanthus at least 2-3 growing seasons in the garden before deciding if they are going to be okay as they do take some time to establish a root system and to start growing to their full potential. On poorer, drier soils consider the forms with more narrow leaves as these tend to be more drought tolerant.
One of the best for autumn foliage colour, this makes neat clumps of leafy stems to 1.2m. Light green in summer, turning into a bonfire of autumn colour from July until the frosts. Thin reddish flowers. Good soil in full sun.
A recent form with a low tufted habit with lots of silvery grey flowers, pinkish to start. Very good winter seedheads. 1m. Looks like it will spread a bit. Average soil in sun.
A new species to us collected in Yunnan, China. Clumps of upright, arching stems with a distinctly greyish appearance. Pinkish summer flowers soon turn a silvery grey by autumn. 1.2m.
A dwarf form with golden flowers to 60cm. The flowers emerge frizzled and as they turn to seed the whole thing looks like dreadlocks! Average soil in sun.
A selected form of 'Yakushima Dwarf' making mounds of fine foliage and pinky flowers in late summer and autumn. Good silvery seedheads overwinter. Average soil in full sun. 1.2m.
A compact form of "zebra grass" with pale yellow bands across mid green leaves on stems to 1.5m. Silken golden flowers produced in autumn in a warm site.
An elegant variegated form with an upright clump forming habit and fine foliage with white margins. Excellent and airy height for mixing into formal borders or naturalistic gardens. Good soil in sun. 1.5m.
A neat growing form with medium width leaves and pretty purplish-red flowers to 1.5m. Often produces good autumn foliage colour too. China. Presumably wild collected but CL has eluded us!
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