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Chinese Silvergrass
Miscanthus
sinensis
 Identification
Large, clumping,
reed-like perennial grass. Long, serrated blades emerge from dried
previous year’s growth in spring. The tall flowering panicles turn
from white to pale pink in late summer to fall. This is a very large
clumping grass, growing up to six feet tall.
Origin
China, Japan and
Korea
Habitat
Prefers full sun,
and rich, moist soil that is well drained. Will tolerate some
drought and is highly tolerant of cold temperatures. Does not do
well in hot, humid climates.
Ecological Threat
Chinese
silvergrass is often included in ornamental plantings. It is planted
as a screen and used often in commercial and residential
landscaping. It quickly invades disturbed areas such as roadsides,
fields, and burned-over areas by wind-dispersed seed and locally by
vegetative means such as rhizomes. It is quickly becoming a nuisance
in natural areas, forest edges, and roadsides where it is crowding
out native vegetation. The previous year’s foliage in the dormant
season is very highly flammable and causes a high fire hazard,
acting as a flash fuel and ladder fuel to wildland fire.
Recommended Native Alternatives
-
Switchgrass (Panicum
virgatum)
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Bottlebrush
grass (Elymus hystrix)
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Indiangrass (Sorgastrum
nutans)
These pages are designed to give the
layperson a general overview of non-native invasive plants commonly
found in the upper Hiwassee River watershed. For more comprehensive
and technical information about a particular species, visit one of
the web sites from our
Links
page. |
