Photo Credit: Gerald Klingaman

Maiden grass is a great selection for screening out undesirable views and noise.

Gardens are constantly changing. Not only do the plants themselves change their appearance from season to season, gardeners are always adding new plants and taking out old ones as different selections peak their interest. Ornamental grasses (which were important garden plants during the height of the Victorian era), have been rediscovered by gardeners and are currently riding a wave of popularity.

While grasses come in a bewildering array of shapes and sizes, one of the most popular is maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis), which truly makes a wonderfully bold statement in fall gardens. This tough, clump-forming grass has slender, half-inch wide leaves that gracefully arch from the ground. In autumn, it sends up a silvery, feathery tassel that turns tan and simply waves about in the breeze above the clump.

For me, one of the best parts of the grass is that the clump expands every year. In fact, the row of ‘Gracillimus’ I planted 10 years ago is now about 3 feet wide at the base and 6 feet tall in flower, effectively obscuring the parking space for my old junker.

Photo Credit: Gerald Klingaman

If you need something smaller for your garden, consider a dwarf selection like ‘Yaku Jima’, which only reaches about 4 feet tall when it blooms in summer.

Of course, the ultimate height of the plant depends on the type of Miscanthus you select. There are now more than 40 cultivars of maiden grass in the nursery trade, so make sure you know the characteristics of the one you choose. ‘Nippon’, for example, is a dwarf form with 2- to 3-foot-tall foliage and flowers topping out at 4 feet. M. × giganteus and M. floridulus are two species that grow straight up to 10 feet. (I’ve often fantasized about making a corn maze using these beauties.)

Perhaps the most popular of the maiden grasses are the variegated types. My favorite of these is a thin-leafed, 4-foot-tall, delicate form called ‘Morning Light’. It has a thin, white strip on the leaf margin that’s easy to miss because the leaf itself is so narrow. Plant this where it can be backlit by the morning sun for a remarkable effect.

Photo Credit: Gerald Klingaman

Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus ‘Cabaret’ is one of the most attractive variegated forms.

Two other variegated forms, M. sinensis var. condensatus ‘Cabaret’(with its wide, white stripe down the length of the blade) and the unusual ‘Zebrinus’ (with yellow variegation running across the leaf blade), are worth having if you’ve got the room. These plants tend to be a bit floppy and graceless in flower, but their foliage effect is grand. (For something with a similar effect but more compact and less floppy, try 4-foot-tall ‘Little Zebra’.)

To achieve its full glory, maiden grass needs at least 6 hours of sunlight. It’s not picky about soil, but will grow larger and faster in good sites. Once established, it’s drought-tolerant to the extreme (and I shudder to think of a drought so severe as to affect it). While an occasional grasshopper might chomp on a leaf here or there, the plant is essentially immune to disease and insect problems.

Photo Credit: Gerald Klingaman

The variegated Miscanthus with bars across the leaf is often called zebra or porcupine grass.

Where to plant this gorgeous grower, you ask? Ornamental grasses in general are ideal for screening, for use as a specimen plants or as substitutes for conventional shrubs. They also make stately specimens when used in large containers, but in cold areas, the pots will need to be sunken during winter to protect the roots from freezing.

The hardiest forms of maiden grass will grow from USDA hardiness zones 4-9. Taller growing types and broad-leafed clones are usually somewhat less hardy, typically going only as far north as Zone 5. The cane-forming M.floridulus is only hardy to Zone 6.

So if you’re looking for a little change, try a blast from the Victorian past! Not only will maiden grass shake up the look of your garden, M. sinensis will add a touch of grace and beauty from season to season.