Miscanthus sacchariflorus
Miscanthus sacchariflorus
Safety & Hazards
The leaves have saw-toothed edges that can cut the unwary gardener, it is best to wear gloves when working with the plant[1].
Cultivation Details
Miscanthus sacchariflorus is not hardy in the colder areas of the temperate zone, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c when fully dormant[1], though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. Prefers a deep fertile loamy soil that does not dry out in summer[1] but succeeds in any ordinary soil that is not too dry[2, 3], in sun or light shade[1]. Very wind tolerant. Plants can be grown as a focal point in lawns, they also succeed in quite coarse grass[4]. This species photosynthesizes by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions. Closely related to Miscanthus floridulus[4]. The leaves have saw-toothed edges and can cut the unwary gardener, it is best to wear gloves when working with the plant[1]. A rhizomatous plant, but it is slow to spread[5], especially in cooler temperate areas[6]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[4].
Propagation
Seed - surface sow in spring in a greenhouse and keep moist. Germination should take place within a couple of weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring or early autumn[1]. Very easy, large divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Miscanthus+sacchariflorus>
Pollinators
Wind
References
- [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
- [3]Ornamental Grasses. — Grounds. R. · Christopher Helm · 1989 · ISBN 0-7470-1219-9 ↩︎Cultivation details of many of the grasses and bamboos. Well illustrated.
- [4]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
- [5]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
- [6]The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database — http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm ↩︎An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
- [7]Flora of Japan. (English translation) — Ohwi. G. · Smithsonian Institution · 1965 · ISBN - ↩︎The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
- [8]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.