Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ has gloriously upright stems and gracefully arching, finely textured cream and green foliage. Nestling in the corner of our White Border it is very dainty and well behaved compared with some of its larger cousins, and looks just as beautiful in a pot with a darker contrasting flower like Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’, another firm favourite. It will bring light and textural quality to any part of your garden - elegance personified!
Vital statistics
- Common name
- Eulalia 'Morning Light'
- Family
- Poaceae
- Height & spread
- 1.5m high x 1m wide (4ft x 3ft)
- Form
- Tufted, deciduous perennial grass
- Soil
- Moderately fertile, well-drained, light soil
- Aspect
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
Miscanthus
This related group (genus) of 17–20 evergreen or deciduous, tufted or creeping, perennial grasses, regrow every year. They are from moist meadows and marshland in Africa and East Asia. Their leaves are narrowly lance-shaped, folded, arching and range in colour from light to mid-green and purplish blue-green.
Dense, arching branched clusters of silky-hairy flower spikelets are borne in late summer and autumn. Flowerheads are more numerous following long, hot summers. In many cases, the dying foliage provides russet autumn colours, and is sometimes attractive in winter.
Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'
Miscanthus sinensis is a deciduous, clump-forming perennial grass with erect stems and mostly flat, erect or arching, linear, blue-green leaves, to 1.2m (4ft) long. Branched clusters of flowers (to 40cm/16in long) of silky-hairy, pale grey flower spikelets, tinted maroon or purple-brown, are produced in autumn.
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ is a compact deciduous perennial with narrow leaves finely edged with white, and pink-tinged branched clusters of flowers in autumn.
It was introduced by the US National Arboretum and was awarded an AGM in 2001.
Cultivation
- Tolerant of most conditions but best in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun.
- Protect from extensive winter wet.
- Remove dead foliage and flowered stems by early spring.
- Generally free from pests and disease.
Propagation
- Sow seed in containers in a cold frame in early spring. Cultivated varieties won’t come true from seed.
- Divide cultivars as new growth commences in spring. May be slow to establish.
AGM
The RHS Floral Trials subcommittee awarded Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ an Award of Garden Merit and described it as:
'Foliage height 1.6m (5ft). Old Japanese variety often used as a bonsai companion plant. Very elegant with light arching sprays. Leaves with thick white central stripe and narrow cream margins bend over attractively instead of kinking. Narrow, arching, habit wider at top than at bottom.'