Miscanthus sinensis Variegatus

The Miscanthus chinensis Variegatus, known as the Chinese Silver Grass or Eulalia, stands out with its variegated silver foliage, featuring narrow leaves marked with cream-white and pale green longitudinal stripes. Its inflorescences appear in late summer as pink-orange plumes, turning white when ripe. Charming and poetic, this tall Chinese grass has a graceful fountain-like habit. It is a luminous and floriferous grass, a bit slow to establish, preferring warm and sunny locations in ordinary soil that retains moisture.

The Miscanthus chinensis Variegatus is a plant from the grass family (Poaceae), native to China and Japan (in the pan-Himalayan region up to an altitude of 2000m (6562ft)). This tall perennial grass with short rhizomes forms a vigorous clump with an upright and trailing habit, quickly reaching a height of 1.80m (6ft) and spreading 1.00m (3ft) wide. The leaves are thin, narrow, long, flexible, pale green with vertical cream-white stripes. Long flower stalks emerge from the foliage from September to November in silky digitate spikes measuring 20 to 30cm (8 to 12in) long, pink-orange. As they fade, they take on a silvery hue. The plumes consist of tiny pinkish flowers that appear and then close slightly before reopening when ripe. They then become paler and more fluffy. Its growth is slower than other varieties, but with time it becomes spectacular.

The Variegated Chinese Silver Grass is a very luminous plant. It has deciduous foliage but remains attractive for much of the winter. It is a "grass" made for large borders, bringing a beautiful structure and a lot of grace. It is also suitable for wild gardens and contemplative gardeners. Just plant it among asters, behind garden chrysanthemums or repeat-flowering roses, watch it grow and expand, play with the wind and the low autumn light, and bend under the rain showers. Come winter, just like conifers, it lights up the garden with its reassuring silhouette. It has its place in modern gardens, with clean lines, alongside bamboo or ferns if the soil is moist. Miscanthus also lends itself well to hedge planting, creating a screen along a path, isolating a part of the garden, or simply hiding the view of the street or a neighbour's garden. In this usage, they offer a slightly surreal walk amidst the vegetation. These grasses bring volume and texture to the garden boundaries, creating a natural transition to the open areas. In an urban garden, the Variegated Chinese Silver Grass softens concrete structures. It can also be grown in large containers. It can also be planted near water features but in well-drained soil, projecting its graceful silhouette on the water's surface, creating a poetic scene. Lastly, this Eulalia can be used to create beautiful dried bouquets.

Some varieties of giant Miscanthus are currently being studied, as they offer real prospects for biomass production or fibre panels. These plants have several advantages: they do not deplete the soil, tolerate polluted soils well, can be incinerated without valorization, or even used for biofuel production.

*This term refers, for example, to grass whose rhizomes are not spreading.