“Most cultivars set filled seed, ranging from 14 to 349,327 seeds per plant only four produced no seed over the course of the trial. Scientists examined the seed set of many cultivars of miscanthus, and found that almost all set viable seed, some of them in very high numbers, a factor that can enhance invasiveness. But in 2010, research at the Chicago Botanic Garden proved that notion wrong. Still, some of the early scientific research indicated that miscanthus spread mostly through rhizomes, and the accepted wisdom for many years was that the cultivars of miscanthus were sterile and did not produce seed. Early on, scientists noted that it seemed to have “escaped” from cultivation. Some of these cultivars became tremendously popular in the 1980’s thanks to their use in the gardens of Oehme and Van Sweden.īut then observers began to notice miscanthus spreading into areas where it had not been planted, mostly in the Mid-Atlantic region. The species was brought here for the ornamental garden trade and it has been the subject of much hybridization, with over 50 cultivars developed over the years. Miscanthus sinensis is native to eastern Asia, and in fact, it is something of a bully in Japan. Miscanthus sinensis covers a large portion of the Tonomine Highlands in Japan. And that turns out to be a very bad result because the species form of Miscanthus spreads rapidly via seed and has been labeled an invasive species here in Virginia and in the greater mid-Atlantic region. My research led me to the conclusion that the two cultivars in my yard had been up to some cross breeding and had produced the species form of Miscanthus sinensis. But these mini Miscanthus plants eventually grew to gigantic proportions, and even worse, they were appearing in my neighbors’ yards and on the edge of a nearby woods. These volunteers were filling in empty spots in my garden beds and, with their tall, waving leaves and plumes, creating lots of drama. To my surprise, I soon had Miscanthus seedlings popping up all over my yard, and at first I thought this was terrific. These are two of the popular cultivars of Miscanthus - which is known by many names, including Chinese silver grass, eulalia, and maiden grass. Photo: Miya.m Miscanthus sinensis - newest plant invader of the Mid-Atlantic RegionĪ number of years ago, I planted two cultivars of Miscanthus sinensis in my yard - ‘Variegatus’ and ‘Gracillimus’. But today, a gardener can find a wide variety of native grasses, so let’s start there. These varieties, like most ornamental grasses, are extremely easy to grow, often thriving in dry, poor soil and requiring only a once-a-year haircut in later winter or early spring. The most popular grasses employed in the “New American Garden” were cultivars of Miscanthus sinensis, Calamagrostis brachytricha and its relatives, and P ennisetum alopecuroides. At that time, the native/non-native status of a plant received little if any attention. The favorites that began to appear in nurseries and gardens a few decades ago and which continue to be readily available are mostly natives of Asia. But for the newbie gardener - and even for the veteran - there are new grasses to consider and some unwelcome facts to learn about some old favorites. That popularity continues, fueled in no small part by the easy nature of most ornamental grasses, which need little attention from the gardener to thrive. Ornamental grasses took the garden world by storm in the 1970’s and 1980’s when the “New American Garden” concepts of the now-famous landscape design team of Oehme and Van Sweden - featuring naturalistic gardens dominated by ornamental grasses - began to appear in public and private gardens and on magazine covers. The “New American Garden” style of Ohme Van Sweden popularized ornamental grasses.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |