Chinese silvergrass
Miscanthus sinensis Anderss.
Description from Invasive.org
- Appearance
- Miscanthus sinensis is a tall, up to 12 ft. (3.7 m), densely-bunched grass that invades roadsides, forest edges, old fields, and other disturbed areas throughout the United States.
- Foliage
- The leaves are long (up to 18 in. [45 cm]), slender, and upright-to-arching with sharp tips and rough margins. The midribs are silvery in color.
- Flowers
- The terminal panicle is fan-shaped, long (2 ft. [0.6 m] in length), and silvery to pink in color. Flowering occurs in late summer.
- Fruit
- Each fertile floret in the panicle bears an awn that is 0.3-0.4 in. (8-10 mm) long and is spirally twisted at its base. It can also spread through rhizomes.
- Ecological Threat
- Miscanthus sinensis escapes from ornamental plantings and can form large clumps along disturbed areas, displacing native vegetation. The grass is also extremely flammable and increases fire risks of invaded areas. It is native to Asia and was introduced into the United States for ornamental purposes during the late 1800s.
Resources
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service
- Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - SE-EPPC
- Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Selected Images from Invasive.org
View All Images at Invasive.org
Flower(s) October
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Infestation in November
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Feature(s) closeup throat in September
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Foliage
Britt Slattery, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Britt Slattery, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Infestation Infestation along trail
Britt Slattery, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Britt Slattery, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Infestation October
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Root(s)
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Control Weedeating miscanthus before it goes to seed
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Resource Management , USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Resource Management , USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Plant(s) Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. USDA Misc. Publ. No. 200. Washington, DC.
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database , USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database , USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Plant(s) Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 113.
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database , USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database , USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage