Miscanthus oligostachyus 'Nanus Variegatus' (v)

RHS Plant Profile
small Japanese silver grass 'Nanus Variegatus'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Miscanthus oligostachyus 'Nanus Variegatus' (v)?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
small Japanese silver grass 'Nanus Variegatus' John Fielding
small Japanese silver grass 'Nanus Variegatus' visionspictures.com

Synonyms

Miscanthus tinctorius 'Variegatus' misapplied
Miscanthus oligostachyus 'Variegatus'
Miscanthus tinctorius 'Nanus Variegatus' misapplied

Grass Like

Compact, clump-forming, deciduous grass, about 1-1.2m tall, with an open habit and short, flat mid-green leaves variegated creamy-yellow, turning yellowish-bronze in autumn, then fading to pale brown in winter. Slender, feathery, creamy-beige flower panicles open in late summer and early autumn, fading to silvery-white and remaining on the plant over winter

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H7

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Poaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Genus
Miscanthus can be deciduous or evergreen grasses with tufted or spreading habit, erect stems bearing arching, linear leaves and terminal panicles of silky spikelets in late summer or autumn
Name Status
Not established

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in any moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun, best in an open position. Protect from excessive winter wet. See ornamental grasses cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring - can be slow to establish

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Architectural
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Prairie planting
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut down dead foliage and old flowered stems as they deteriorate, or by early spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free