Miscanthus sinensis Missmini - Silvergrass

Miscanthus sinensis 'Missmini' is an ornamental grass that brings colour and movement to the garden without exceeding one metre in height. This Chinese reed forms a compact, very dense clump, well-suited to small spaces, borders, and terraces. Its wine-red plumes appear in late summer, turning to silvery cream-white and remaining decorative for a good part of the winter.

This grass belongs to the Poaceae family. It is a horticultural variety derived from the species Miscanthus sinensis. Its full name is Miscanthus sinensis Missmini (‘MLTR20.132’), with Missmini being its commercial name. Developed by the Dutch team MLTR Breeding and introduced by Plantipp, this compact selection was bred for small gardens and drought-tolerant landscaping. Missmini has a matt-forming rootstock, with short rhizomes, which remains well-contained and does not sucker. The plant develops a clump of fine, flexible leaves, from which vertical, flowering stems rise in summer. At maturity, in open ground, it reaches 80 to 90 cm in height when in flower, with a spread of 60 cm. Its growth is fairly rapid: after a first year of rooting, the plant reaches its full size in two or three seasons. The foliage is formed of linear, long and narrow, medium green leaves. This foliage dries out in autumn, takes on straw-coloured hues, and then collapses in winter. Flowering begins in August and continues until October, or even November in mild climates. It takes the form of feathery panicles, initially dark red to pinkish, becoming cream and then straw-brown.

The Missmini variety can be used in small, repeated clumps along a path, at the edge of a border, or in the foreground of an ornamental grass border. It is also an excellent variety for the terrace. Its flowering accompanies the autumnal hues of Panicum virgatum ‘Sangria' and the small silky spikes of Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Little Bunny’. You can add Aster divaricatus 'Beth Chatto' for its light white flowering and Miscanthus sinensis ‘Cute One’ to create a variety of volumes. Their dried inflorescences animate the garden through winter.