Miscanthus Giganteus

[Dim]

has anyone grown these?

I have a section of the garden (the back boundary) that I wish to screen .... I don't want to plant a hedge and bamboo will be too expensive ... These grow 2m+ high in one season ... they go brown in winter, then regrow rapidly when cut down in early spring

only thing bothering me is that the area is semi-shade

[harryc]

I have had this growing for a couple of seasons and yes it does grow over 2m in a season but I have not managed to get more than about 6 canes growing. Maybe it was the really harsh spring we had this year!

H

[harryc]

Forgot to say mine is in semi shade so maybe that's why it's not taken off.

H

[daftbanana]

I would like some of this myself, any suggestions on where to get it from?

[Tom2006]

Yes ive got a huge clump of this in my garden and ot grows incredibly quickly up to 8-9' in just a couple of months once spring kicks in. Its south east facing so gets lots of sunlight. Its in quite a dry spot but only because my entire garden is pretty dry. Doesn't really spread with runners just the clump which gradually spreads out.

I will try taking some off cuts in spring so if anyone wants a small clump drop me a pm.

[DAVIDEVANS]

Isn't this the same as floridulus. My experience, like Harry's, is that after 2 years it is slow to grow more canes. Looks a bit tatty too. I will give it another year but am doubtful if it is a long term prospect for me. It's being grown a lot around here for biofuel.

[Tom2006]

Isn't this the same as floridulus. My experience, like Harry's, is that after 2 years it is slow to grow more canes. Looks a bit tatty too. I will give it another year but am doubtful if it is a long term prospect for me. It's being grown a lot around here for biofuel.

Not my experience had it for over 8 years.

[miketropic]

its cheap here in the states maybe £6 for 10 rhizomes

[Kristen]

I've got a pair of Miscanthus giganteus, but I prefer my Miscanthus sacchariflorus / sacchariflora which grows to 3.5M. Dunno if relevant but M. giganteus doesn't have an AGM, whereas lots of other Miscanthus (including sacchariflorus) do.

Is it an issue that you won't have a screen after you cut it down until new growth is fully grown? (It can collapse in winter once the canes die off, even if you don't cut it down)

[Chad]

Miscanthus floridulus, sacchariflorus and x giganteus are horribly muddled in ‘The Trade’. If you are offered a division of a plant you like then take the division rather than trying to buy a bit of the same name.

The RHS did a good trial [written up here] in 1998 -2003 and the AGM for floridulus was withdrawn. The plant that had ‘won’ it before was probably not true to name anyway.

Although they are the tallest of the Miscanthus in common cultivation [M. lutarioriparius is taller] they all grow with relatively bare stems. Unless ultimate height is your goal the there are better Miscanthus that form a denser visual barrier.

My favourite of the 'green' ones is Miscanthus ‘Cosmo Revert’ [also known as ‘Emerald Giant’] although it didn’t get an award in the RHS trial. I grows reliably here to 8ft but keeps lower leaves on right through the year. None of the Miscanthus cut out the view of the neighbours until late July though.

In my grass garden you can see x giganteus as the tallest at the back right. Both in front of it and to its immediate left is ‘Cosmo revert’.

Chad

[huporhaha]

I have had five of them for the last four years. Unfortunately they don't like the climate here and I rescued them in the spring as they never grew any more than knee high outside. I transplanted them in a bed in the greenhouse and they reached the roof - they are dying back now.