Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’ on 8-12-12, #115-71.
Zebra Grass
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’
miss-KANTH-us sy-NEN-sis
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AWARD OF GARDEN MERIT
Synonyms of Miscanthus sinensis (71) (Updated on 12-22-23 from Plants of the World Online): If you want to see the list on POWO click HERE.
Miscanthus sinensis Andersson is the accepted scientific name for this species of Miscanthus. Both the genus AND species were named and described as such by Nils Johan Andersson in Öfversigt af Kongliga Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar (Stockholm) in 1855.
As of 12-22-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 14 species in the Miscanthus genus. It is a member of the plant family Poaceae with 793 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.
I bought my Zebra Grass from the discount rack at Lowe’s in August 2012 in Greenville, Mississippi. Since I moved back to the family farm in mid-Missouri in February 2013 and didn’t bring it with me, I don’t have much experience with this grass. I did like the yellow banding on the leaves, which is why I bought it. Not all the leaves had this coloration.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Common Names: Zebra Grass.
Family: Poacea.
Origin: Japan, Korea, and China.
Zones: USDA Zones 5a-9b (-20 to 25 °F).
Size: 4-7 feet tall.
Light: Full sun to part shade. Plants may flop in too much shade.
Soil: Average well-drained soil.
Leaves: Green leaves with yellow bands.
Flowers: Pinkish-white.
Water: Medium, drought tolerant but prefers moist soil.
Propagation: Plants spread by rhizomes and can easily be divided.
This grass spreads by short rhizomes which makes a nice clump. It has escaped gardens and has naturalized in 25 states. The stems of the species grow upward and will make an attractive fountain-like appearance. This cultivar, however, may take on a rounded shape. Other cultivars stand better. Leaves turn yellow to orange in the fall then tan for winter attraction. The flowers and leaves retain their fountain-like shape over winter.
There are no significant problems except for Miscanthus mealybug and Miscanthus blight in some parts of the country.
There are several good cultivars available with different features. I have not grown many ornamental grasses on the farm but I hope to try a few more. If I find this one again, I will bring one home if the price is right.
I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant.
The Belmont Rooster 