Giant Chinese Silver Grass (Miscanthus 'Giganteus')
mis-KAN-thus jy-GAN-tee-us

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Clumping in the Poaceae Family
A towering, sterile hybrid grass that makes an imposing seasonal screen without the seeding worries of straight Miscanthus species.
Giant Miscanthus is a naturally occurring, sterile hybrid between Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus, first selected in Europe in the 1930s and since grown worldwide both as a dramatic ornamental and, at farm scale, as a biomass crop. Clumps reach well over head height by late summer, topped with broad, cane-like leaves and, in a good year, reddish plumes that fade to silver. Because the cross produces essentially no viable seed, it spreads only by its own expanding clump rather than by wind-blown seed -- a meaningfully different, much lower invasive profile than the fertile straight species.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 8 - 12 feet tall. 3 - 4 feet wide.
Growth Rate Fast
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet
Zones 5a - 9b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Attracts Wildlife, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Full Sun, Grasses, Medium, Native to Asia, Perennial, Popular For Fall, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Wet, Winter Interest
Bloom Period Early Fall
Flower Color Reddish, Fading To Silver

Photos of This with...

Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower, Eclipse Bigleaf Hydrangea, Morning Light Maiden Grass, Cherokee Sunset Black-Eyed Susan, Prairie Sun Black-Eyed Susan
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 08/10 - 08/23
2024 : 07/02 - 09/08
2023 : 06/21 - 09/10

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!