Giant Chinese Silver Grass

Some varieties of this hybrid can produce viable seed. This hybrid can also easily reproduce vegetatively.

The National W...Read Moreildlife Federation has produced a report expressing concerns about its invasive potential, particularly if it's used on a large scale in biomass production, as has been proposed. [HYPERLINK@www.nwf.org]

Has taken about 2 years to start looking decent, it got 6 feet the first year, but takes time to fill out producing limited canes, the se...Read Morecond year with plumes it was about 12 feet. This third year I believe it will look very nice. I really like the flower plumes that are way at the top and silver, very ornamental in my Tropical plant garden. I have discovered that if you inspect the bottom of the canes close to the ground (May depend on how moist it stays), the grass makes aerial rhizomes that point downward toward the soil. If you wait till fall when the rhizome is at least an inch long where it won't run out of energy stores too soon before the cane dries up after cutting. You can snip the part of the cane holding the rhizome off, plant it in a pot covering it will soil, and it will quickly form roots in about a week. An easy way to propagate without disturbing the root mass of the original planting. I will let them root well, then put the pot in my cold but not freezing greenhouse to go dormant till spring.

Agreed, a beautiful plant that does need plenty of sun and cannot be waterlogged for long periods.
I leave the canes standing t...Read Morehrough the winter for interest and cut them back in early spring. I take the hollow stalks and cut them to about 6 inches and bundle them and place them in various areas of my garden for insect/ bee habitat. Seems to work very well as I have definitely noticed an increase in the little pollinators in recent years.

This makes an excellent and FAST privacy screen. I was given a clump free if I dug it out. I divided the grass and planted it across 15...Read More0' of frontage. The first year most of it reached full height and bloomed. The grass that didn't reach full height was damaged by a car that ran off the road and knocked it down. It came back fully the next season. My clumps after 3 years went from small pieces to about a 5 foot spread. It reaches up to 14 foot in height when blooming.

The downside of this grass is that it is extremely difficult to dig out. An axe and a pry bar are helpful. Gloves are necessary or the grass blades will slice easily through your skin. The roots are about 6 inches deep, but interwoven and as hard as digging through tree roots. It only takes the smallest piece of root to start a plant. It is messy. It will shed in the fall. The outer blades will fall over when full grown and it needs lots of space.

In the winter it dies and turns yellow. It will continue to stand if you need the privacy or it can be cut down since it will regrow from the ground. Keep in mind that at this stage, it is very flammable and a fire risk if too near the house or a building.

This grass is rarely eaten by animals. My horses won't touch it, and my goats will only taste it and walk away. I haven't had any problems with deer and I'd guess that they don't like it either.

The stalks of this grass can be used for plant stakes or crafts. It is similar to bamboo, just not as wide.

I live in Northeast Ohio. The grass is in full sun and gets plenty of rain. It is planted in both a well drained area and a wet area and does great either way.