Is It OK to Plant Miscanthus?

Though miscanthus is notoriously invasive, many nurseries continue to sell it

Despite being categorise as invasive in 25 states , the District of Columbia , and Ontario , miscanthus ( Miscanthus sinensisand cvs . , Zones 4–9 ) continues to be a democratic nursery plant . Many still importune that some cultivars are sterile and do not coiffure practicable seed . To put that theory to the run , scientists at the Chicago Botanic Garden conducted an invasive - coinage tryout . Here ’s what they found .

▶Seedlings popped up despite being quarantined.

From 2006 through 2010 , 34 miscanthus were grown in their own separate trial beds and monitored for energy , efflorescence catamenia , and blossom production . It did n’t take long to see an increasing numeral of seedlings carpet the trial plots and contiguous landscapes each spring , although it was impossible to roll in the hay which of the so - called “ sterile ” plants were reseed .

▶Tests revealed the viability of each cultivar’s seed.

In October 2010 , inflorescences from each of the 34 flora were X - rayed to see if fertilized egg were present in the come ( presenting as well - formed , solid clean orb on the X - irradiation ) . XTC - ray analytic thinking also assess seed quality and viable seed quantity , and reveal detail of seed fill , louse infestation , and the sizing or absence seizure of an embryo ( which prefigure the chance a come will actually sprout into a industrial plant ) . The number of viable seeds per plant vary widely , from as few as 497 ( ‘ Dixieland ’ ) to as many as 349,327 ( ‘ Kleine Silberspinne ’ ) .

▶Only one miscanthus is truly sterile.

The subject showed that come product and viability varied significantly among cultivars , demonstrating the importance of evaluating all cultivars for invasive potential . In our report , only ‘ Hinjo ’ and ‘ Silberpfeil ’ , ‘ nightspot ’ ( M. sinensisvar.condensatus‘Cabaret ’ ) , and jumbo miscanthus ( M.×giganteus)produced no viable seed . But consider these results carefully because come production could potentially still occur as works age or are uprise in longer growing seasons ; ‘ Hinjo ’ , for illustration , set source in a study conducted at the University of Minnesota . gargantuan miscanthus is likely a infertile triploid , so it should be safe anywhere it ’s originate .

See a list of the test results here .

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