Miscanthus sinensis Poseidon - Chinese Silver Grass

Miscanthus sinensis 'Poseidon', or Chinese reed, is a large perennial grass with broad foliage that flowers in late summer and autumn. It forms a dense and flexible clump composed of leaves crossed by an almost white central vein, then becomes adorned with purple-pink plumes that fade to silvery. This beautiful variety is used at the back of a border or in groups in a grass garden. Its vegetation, even when dry, remains decorative for part of the winter.

This cultivar belongs to the family Poaceae, formerly called Gramineae. The species Miscanthus sinensis is native to East and Southeast Asia, from China to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, the Philippines and some islands of Indonesia; its presence is documented in the Russian Far East. In the wild, it grows in open habitats: meadows, woodland edges, slopes and well-exposed sites. 'Poseidon' is a horticultural selection derived from this species. It stands out for its fairly broad foliage, vigorous growth and inflorescences held well above the leaves. It is an herbaceous perennial with a short, rhizomatous, so-called cespitose rootstock: it renews its foliage each spring but does not sucker. Its growth is vigorous in deep soil that remains cool in summer. At maturity, the clump reaches about 2 m tall in flower. Its spread varies according to conditions: approximately 70 cm in average soil, up to 1.50 m in rich, moist soil. The leaves are long, strap-shaped, medium green, with a white to light line in the centre. In autumn, they take on yellow, orange, even red tones, if the temperature differences between day and night are significant. The flowering stems appear from late summer to autumn, from September to October, sometimes later depending on the climate. They bear silky panicles, first purple-pink to violet-pink, becoming silvery grey as they dry. The foliage is deciduous: it dries in winter, but the culms and plumes remain attractive for a long time.
In Japan, the species is called susuki and its plumes are associated with autumn, especially during the traditional moon-viewing festival, Tsukimi.

In the garden, plant this miscanthus 'Poseidon' in full sun, in any loose, well-drained soil that does not dry out for too long in summer. Allow space around the clump, as the plant spreads over the years. It can be planted as a specimen in a large border, in groups of three to form a screen, or behind autumn perennials. One can pair it with Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Blackfield’, the Aster ageratoides ‘Ezo Murasaki’, the Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ and the Vernonia crinita ‘Mammuth’.