When decorating territories near institutions, organizations, large shopping centers, ornamental grasses are increasingly used. They are planted separately or in groups in mixborders, rockeries, near lawns, decorate the banks of reservoirs, but this should always be appropriate and create an attractive look.
There is no particular difficulty in growing, but sometimes the plants take on a sloppy look and must be looked after like other plants.
Miscanthus (Miscanthus) belongs to the family of cereals. There are 16 known species of miscanthus, they are distributed mainly in the subtropical zones of Asia, Africa, Australia, which means that the plant is thermophilic.
Perennial herbaceous plants up to 3 m high, form loose turf with a creeping surface rhizome. The stems are erect, the bases of the shoots are covered with leathery, scaly leaves. Leaves are linear or lanceolate-linear, very tough. Small spikelets are collected in fan-shaped panicles. Several types of miscanthus have been used in floriculture since 1875.
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Miscanthus Chinese, or chinese reed(Miscanthus sinensis) in nature, it is distributed in the Far East, China, Korea. It is a powerful, loose shrub with a short, shallow rhizome. Stems are erect, leafy in the lower part, up to 3 m high. Leaves are linear, 1.5 cm wide, with a thick rib in the middle, hard, rough. Small single-flowered spikelets are collected in loose panicles with a shortened main axis. At the base of the spikelet scales, there are long silky hairs. In winter, it can suffer from frost, shelter for the winter is required.
Currently, about 100 varieties of miscanthus chinese have been created, which differ in the shape and color of inflorescences - from pure white and pink to brownish-burgundy, as well as in the shape, size and color of leaves - from thin graceful to strong, vertical, having a pure greenish , yellowish, pinkish, brownish color or stripes white, cream, yellow.
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Miscanthus sucrose(Miscanthus sacchariflorus) grows in wet meadows, sandy river banks, forest glades in the Far East, Korea, China, Japan. The plant is up to 2 m high, the stems are straight, glabrous. Leaves are linear, up to 60 cm long. Small spikelets are collected in a paniculate inflorescence, up to 25 cm long, white or pinkish-silvery. Because the plant is thermophilic, then in spring it begins to grow late, but then in warm weather it grows quickly and vigorously and can suppress weaker neighboring plants. It grows well in waterlogged places, grows slowly on dry ones.
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Miscanthus giant, or elephant grass(Miscanthus × giganteus) - this cereal, cultivated for a long time, is a hybrid of Chinese miscanthus and sugar flower (Miscanthus sinensisxM. sacchariflorus).
Plant height is up to 3 m, stems are straight, leafy in the lower part, leaves are linear, departing in all directions from the stem - "weeping" and produce the effect of a large fountain. They are dark green, 2.5 cm wide, with a white stripe along the midrib of the leaf. The bush forms a slightly spreading turf. The opening panicles have a pinkish tint, then quickly turn silvery. Blooms late, in areas with short or cold summers may not bloom.
Growing miscanthus
Growing conditions... All miscanthus like open, sunny places, grow well on any soil, except for sands and heavy clays. Feeding should be done in moderation, especially, do not overdo it with nitrogen, because excess nitrogen leads to overgrowth and lodging of plants. Shoots retain their decorative effect in autumn and winter, so they are pruned in early spring. They don't like transplants.
Reproduction... Propagate miscanthus by sowing seeds in the ground in the fall, or carefully divide the bushes in spring or autumn. When grown from seeds, the plants acquire decorative effect in the 3-4th year. It should be borne in mind that varietal characteristics are not preserved during seed propagation.
Plants with dense bushes can eventually die off in the center - here you cannot do without division and transplantation.
Usage
Almost all miscanthuses have a long decorative period - from spring to autumn, and in autumn their foliage is painted in various shades - pink, brown, burgundy. Florists use graceful inflorescences to create dry compositions.
"Ural gardener", No. 50, 2017
