Maiden Grass
Miscanthus sinensis
Maiden Grass blooms from September through October.
Mature size, 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.
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 5.9 ft tall and 3.9 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years.
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. For the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 9 range, 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: for the middle of its range, start with zone 7 in March.
Comes in 4 varieties across 2 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Maiden Grass
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
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.
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.
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