Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Grass Like

Miscanthus oligostachyus 'Nanus Variegatus' (v)

small Japanese silver grass 'Nanus Variegatus'

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

Synonyms

Miscanthus tinctorius 'Variegatus' misapplied
Miscanthus oligostachyus 'Variegatus'
see moreMiscanthus tinctorius 'Nanus Variegatus' misapplied

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

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)

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

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.