This plant is problematic and alternatives should be considered. Please see the suggestions in the left-hand column. Maidengrass, in the grass family (Poaceae), is an herbaceous perennial, deciduous, ornamental grass native to Asia. It has a clumping habit and can be 4 to 6 feet wide at maturity and 4 to 12 feet tall with arching leaves. Common along roadsides and disturbed areas, it is highly flammable and an invasive species in North Carolina. It is adaptable to all types of soil and drainage and will grow in all but the shadiest of environments. Wind-disseminated seeds increase the invasive nature of maidengrass. Heavy mulching helps prevent seed germination. A large rhizomatus root mass means that, once established, it is difficult to remove. Foliage should be cut down in late winter or early spring, before or just as, new blades begin to appear. To control maidengrass, allow it to regrow 12 inches tall, then treat the new foliage with a 1% glyphosate solution. Adding a surfactant will help the herbicide adhere to the surface being sprayed. When the foliage dies, cut it back down and repeat the process until regeneration stops. There are many cultivars, some of which may be less weedy or invasive than others. Look for cultivars that are bred to be less fertile, like Bandwidth™ or My Fair Maiden™ or ‘Scout’. There are suggestions for native alternatives to maidengrass in the left-hand column. Quick ID Hints : Forms erect clumps. Terminal inflorescence is 8-inch long, finger-like racemes. Fire Risk : This plant has a high flammability rating and should not be planted within the defensible space of your home. Select plants with a low flammability rating for the sites nearest your home. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems : Weedy and invasive. Listed as an invasive species by the NC Invasive Plant Council. Some cultivars have shown good resistance to phytophthora. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Similar, less problematicMiscanthus sinensis My Fair Maiden™ 'NCMS1'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet | Very Dry
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Cascading; Clumping; Columnar; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green; Variegated; White
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Arching blades may range from 0.25" to 2" wide, and 3' to 5' long, sometimes with variegation on the medium-green foliage that is silver, white, cream, or yellow on the midrib. Leaves are flat, linear sheated, inconspicuously serrulate.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gray/Silver; Pink; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Good Dried; Long-lasting; Showy
Flower form
Panicle; Spike
Flower detail
Inflorescences a terminal panical of spikelets that unfurl atop the central vertical stalks, and differ among the numerous cultivars in terms of their time of emergence, color, separation from the upper foliage (well-separated or immersed within it), and Winter persistence. Secondary axes in elongate, finger-like racemes that grow up to 8" long. Spikelets are paired, less than an inch in size, lanceolate, and with long silky hairs basally. As fruits develop, axes develop hairs that spread for seed dispersal.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Cream/Tan
Fruit type
Aggregate; Caryopsis
Stem detail
Stems are cane-like, erect, spreading, bearing leaves reducing in size upwards and terminating in an inflorescence.