Maiden Grass: A Field Guide

Maiden grass is a plant that comes very close to being perfect. Perennial Miscanthus sinensis can do it all: it’s drought tolerant, deer proof, and beautiful, growing in airy clumps that send up feathery plumes in late summer.

Among ornamental grasses, Miscanthus is a go-to choice for garden designers and landscape architects. It is a hardy perennial in temperate climates and is a beautiful backdrop in garden beds, a hazy swath of color in a meadow, or a welcoming edging plant alongside a path or driveway. With as many as 50 forms of maiden grass available for sale in the U.S., the cultivars range from very large, stately specimen plants such as Miscanthus x giganteus (which grows to heights of 12 feet) to friendly waist-high container plants. You can use maiden grass as an effective privacy screen or a complement to flowering perennials.