Illustration
Maiden Grass
Miscanthus sinensis
Maiden Grass blooms from September through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Maiden Grass
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–9. Expect it to reach about 6 ft tall and 4 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Maiden Grass. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Maiden Grass
Plant Maiden Grass in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 7, the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means September or October. Once settled, it blooms from September to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 7, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 7 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Maiden Grass get?
6 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult4 ftwideSee Maiden Grass in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Maiden Grass
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Maiden Grass about 4 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Maiden Grass to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Maiden Grass' height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 4 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical Gardenheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Extension EDIS (FP405, Miscanthus sinensis Maiden Grass)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- RHSheight, spread and sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 4 varieties across 2 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Maiden Grass group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flame | Red | Aug–Oct | Zones 4–9 | Full sun | 4.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Gracillimus | Orange | Sep–Oct | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 6 ft × 4 ft |
| Maidenthis page | Orange | Sep–Oct | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 6 ft × 4 ft |
| Morning Light | White | Sep–Oct | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 5 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Zebra | Orange | Sep–Oct | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 6.5 ft × 5 ft |
Good to know about Maiden Grass
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
It greens up late, in late spring to early summer, so bare stubble long after other plants have leafed out is normal, not a dead plant. per NC State
Spreads by seed, not roots
Sources split: a well-behaved garden clump versus a rhizome-running invader. Both are true at different scales; the garden clump stays put, so control the wind-blown seed, not the roots. per NC State and USDA
Invasive in many states
The straight species self-seeds and has escaped across much of the eastern, midwestern, and southeastern US. Choose sterile cultivars like 'Morning Light' and check local lists. per USDA and Invasive Plant Atlas
Highly flammable
Rated highly flammable. Do not plant it within the defensible space around a home, and do not try to burn escaped stands, which often gets out of control. per USDA
Cut back in late winter
Leave the foliage standing all winter for structure, then cut the whole clump to a few inches in late winter or early spring, just before new blades appear. per NC State
Divide when center dies out
After about 3 to 4 years the clump flops and the center dies out. Dig it, discard the dead middle, and replant the vigorous outer pieces in spring. per IFAS and Missouri Botanical
What pairs well with Maiden Grass
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Potentilla
Shares full sun and low water; opens in early summer and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 3 ft, for the front of the border; yellow sits close to orange on the wheel.
Snow-in-Summer
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; its white flowers settle the orange.
Honeysuckle
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; climbs to 13 ft behind it, height without the footprint; echoes the orange.
Bee Balm
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in midsummer, before this one opens; lower at 3 ft, for the front of the border.
Crape Myrtle
Shares full sun and low water; opens in midsummer and overlaps into this one's season; taller at 13 ft, for the layer behind it.
Trumpet Vine
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in early summer and overlaps into this one's season; climbs to 26 ft behind it, height without the footprint.
Tulip Tree
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; yellow sits close to orange on the wheel.
Passionflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in midsummer and overlaps into this one's season; climbs to 13 ft behind it, height without the footprint; purple against orange, for contrast.
Featured in these guides
Explore similar plants
You might also like
Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.