Miscanthus Sinensis

Miscanthus sinensis is a clumping deciduous grass that grows into an upright fountain of narrow, arching leaves, then sends up feathery flower plumes above the foliage from late summer into autumn. The plumes open with a purple tinge, age to silver and hold through winter, which is when the grass earns its place: a tall, moving, backlit presence while most of the garden is quiet. It works as a single specimen, in a drift, or as a soft screen along a fence. Full sun for the best flowering, part shade accepted. Any well-drained soil. Water regularly through the first summer, then it copes with dry spells. Cut the whole clump to the ground in late winter before the new growth comes through.