Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Miscanthus sinensis
Chinese Silver Grass
Miscanthus sinensis, the Chinese Silver Grass, is the structural grass that most others are measured against. Narrow arching leaves with a pale midrib build an upright clump through summer, then silvery to pink-bronze plumes rise above it in late summer and stand, bleaching to straw, right through winter.
It is planted in drifts for movement and texture, as a seasonal screen and in detention basins and roadside beds where a tall grass is wanted for very little maintenance.
Specifications
- Height1.2 to 2 metres in leaf, and to 2.5 metres in flower
- Width1 to 1.5 metres
- Native toEast Asia, in China, Japan and Korea
- FoliageNarrow, arching green leaves with a pale midrib, turning bronze and straw-gold in autumn; deciduous
- Growth rateFast
Conditions
- SoilTolerates most soils; prefers moist, well-drained ground
- LightFull sun
- WaterModerate; tolerates dry periods once established
- ClimateThrives in temperate to subtropical regions and is fully frost-hardy
Additional Features
- FlowersSilvery to pink-bronze feathery plumes from late summer, persisting through winter
- FormUpright arching clump that holds its shape without staking
- UsesIdeal for mass planting, seasonal screening, mixed borders, detention basins and roadside beds
- SpacingPlant 0.8 to 1.2 metres apart for a continuous drift
- Low MaintenanceCut the whole clump to the ground in late winter; nothing else is required
- Pest ResistanceGenerally pest-free and reliable
- Seasonal AppealSummer movement, autumn colour and a winter skeleton from a single plant
Chinese Silver Grass carries a planting from midsummer through to late winter on one annual cut, which is as efficient as landscape planting gets.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com
310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, Australia
Prepared 08 September 2026