Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus'

A cultivated selection of an East Asian grass, this perennial grass forms dense upright clumps with arching foliage. It reaches about six and a half feet tall. Long white stripes distinguish its narrow leaves. Sparse reddish flowerheads may appear in early autumn, forming loose, silky panicles above the foliage. The plant is deciduous and produces new growth from its established clump each spring. It can be propagated by dividing the clumps in spring. The species is invasive in North Carolina, where wind-borne seeds help it colonize roadsides and disturbed ground. Photographed in Colombia.