Morning Light Silver Grass
Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'
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Specifications
| Plant Characteristics | Drought resistant, Flowering |
|---|---|
| Hardiness Zone | 5a to 9b |
| Sunlight | Full sun, Partial shade |
| Height | |
| Width | |
| Watering Needs | Moderate |
| Preferred Soil | Clay, Loamy, Sandy |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Growth Habit | Bushy, Compact, Upright |
| Plant Life Cycle | Perennial |
| Blooms In | Fall, Summer |
| Flower Color | Red |
| Suitable Space | Outdoors |
| Plant Name | Grass |
| Botanical Name | |
| Species | |
| Cultivar | |
| Class | Poales |
| Does Not Ship To | AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, PR, UT, WA |
Description
If you want a grass that truly makes a statement, the Morning Light Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light') is happy to oblige! It grows tall, strong, and full with an iconic, fountain-like form. It's easy to see why so many regard this brilliant grass as one of the best-performing Miscanthus varieties!
Miscanthus Morning Light Maiden Grass is a warm-season ornamental that earns its keep in any garden by standing tall and keeping things fresh and exciting with its thin, whiskery leaves. Its foliage is a bright green with creamy white margins. It also has center veins that create a silvery sheen as this grass sways in the sun.
When summer rolls into fall, Morning Light Miscanthus sends up feathery and festive plumes. These joyous plumes create quite a visual impact with their reddish-bronze coloration. These plumes hang around through winter, giving your garden four seasons of interest. Hardy throughout planting zones 5 to 9, these warm-season grasses grow to 4-5 feet in height when in bloom, and form clumps 3-4 feet wide.
Planting and Application:
Because of its fine foliage and graceful form and movement, Miscanthus Morning Light Grass lends itself well to almost any occasion. This excellent grass is easily recognizable from afar. Its stately size and dense form make it ideal for back planting or as a seasonal screen. This delightful grass also makes a wonderful specimen or addition to your grass garden. Its height makes it a great accent piece or thriller.
Plant your Morning Light Grass in full sun for the best performance. It is deer resistant, so you don't have to worry about your investment becoming Bambi's snack. This grass is also salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant once established. Add to Rock Gardens and Xeric mass plantings, even that harsh hell strip along the road or sidewalk!
- Narrow Green Leaves With Silvery White Leaf Margins
- Iconic Graceful Fountain Form
- Warm-Season Ornamental Grass
- Bronzy Red Plumes
- Flowing Specimens, Mass Plantings, Backdrops & Screening
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Miscanthus ornamental grasses need full sun to have the strongest stems, but are graceful and flowing in partial shade as well! Provide an enriched location with excellent drainage that has mulch for the very best results! Once established, Miscanthus can handle harsher conditions. Each year early spring, cut your ornamental grasses down to just a few inches, removing all of last year's growth and flower plumes, and let all new growth start from the ground up each year. These warm-season grasses may green up later in the spring, but really shine once the hot, dry summer weather kicks in!
- Full Sun & Partial Shade
- Well-Drained Enriched Soil
- Tolerates Drought & Saline Conditions Once Established
- Moderate to Low Moisture Needs
- Deer Seldom Bother It
- Prune Early Spring
Welcome the Morning Light Grass into your garden and let it brighten your day. It will surely become a shining star in your yard. Order now at NatureHills.com!
Planting & Care
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping Rates
Ships in 3-5 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected
| Under $50 | $9.99 |
| $50 - $99.99 | $14.99 |
| $100 - $149.99 | $16.99 |
| $150 - $198.99 | $24.99 |
| $199+ | FREE |
✓ Zone-specific timing • ✓ Professional packaging • ✓ Health guarantee
Find on Page
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I was so worried about the horrible heat during the journey on the truck but I was so relieved to see them suffering from very little stress when they arrived. They are very healthy and after a few days of relaxing they will be given a permanent home. I can’t wait to see them color up. Thank you for a wonderful first time experience with you. I can’t wait to see the rest of my order.
Miscanthus can handle a bit of travel stress better than most plants, and it sounds like yours arrived in good shape. Getting them settled for a few days before planting is exactly the right move. The red fall color on Lady in Red is worth the wait, and we hope the rest of your order arrives just as well. Thanks for giving us a try, Deborah.
The plants were just barely plants. I got so.e dirt and 3 leaves. You couldn't have sent me less and still called it Miscanthus Lady in Red.
Very seriously disappointed.
looks beautiful and is growing well
Miscanthus Lady in Red is such a rewarding ornamental grass once it gets going, and it sounds like yours is off to a great start. That red-tinged foliage really does make it a standout in the garden. Thanks for sharing, Richard!
Received a good sized healthy looking plant, been in the ground a couple weeks now, starting to show some reddish color. Hoping bigger and full display next year
Those first hints of red are a good sign it is settling in well. Miscanthus grasses really do hit their stride in the second and third year, so you have a nice show to look forward to. Thanks for sharing the early update, Andrew.
Beautiful and so easy to plant
Miscanthus are some of the most rewarding grasses to get in the ground, and Lady in Red is a standout with those rich red-tinged blades. Thanks for sharing your experience, Debra. As it settles in over the season, you should see it really fill out and put on a show.
They arrived in super condition. Now planted and starting to turn red and shoots are appearing 🎉❣️
Red color developing this early is a great sign, Cynthia. Miscanthus Lady in Red really hits its stride as the season goes on, so you have a lot to look forward to as those shoots fill in. Thanks for sharing the update!
It looks great , settling in very nicely , will probably have to wait until next year too see the colors, as I just planted it . Can’t wait to see !
Miscanthus can take a full season to really show off once established, so you are right on track. The red-tinged foliage and feathery plumes are well worth the wait. Thanks for planting with us, Lisa, and enjoy watching it fill in!
So far, so good!
Miscanthus Lady in Red is a great grower once it settles in, Randy. Keep an eye out for the burgundy-red tinted foliage as the season progresses. Thanks for the early report, and we hope it keeps impressing you all season long.
Nice full plants. I Would definitely buy again.
Miscanthus Lady in Red fills in beautifully and that full habit is one of the things that makes it such a standout ornamental grass. Thanks for the kind words, Joe, and we look forward to helping you grow your garden again whenever you are ready.
The plants are gorgeous, just gorgeous!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Lady in Red really does earn that reaction. Once it gets going, those red-tinged blades and feathery plumes put on a show from midsummer well into fall. Thanks for sharing the love, and enjoy watching them fill in!
Shipping was fast and the plants arrived beyond my expectations, healthy, vigorous, and Beautiful. I was surprised at how quickly they had taken route. I live in zone 8A and it’s been a hot July and August and they are thriving I will most certainly do business with this company in the future.
Miscanthus Lady in Red is a tough, heat-tolerant grass, but thriving through a zone 8A July and August is still a good sign that yours settled in well. It sounds like the root establishment happened faster than you expected, which usually sets the plant up for a strong first season. We appreciate the kind words, Brian, and look forward to helping with your next planting project.
Couldn’t be happier with my purchase!! My grass arrived big and healthy and is growing very fast and nicely! Fantastic packaging, great price!
Lady in Red is a strong grower once it gets going, and it sounds like yours hit the ground running. The packaging on ornamental grasses can be tricky to get right, so it's good to hear it arrived in solid shape. Thanks for sharing, Tim.
My first plant didn’t seem to be growing. I contacted them and they responded immediately and sent me a replacement at no charge under their guarantee. I am looking forward to my Miscanthus to grow fully, it looks besutivul.
Miscanthus Lady in Red can be slow to get going in its first season, so it's good that you reached out and our team was able to get a replacement to you. Once it settles in and puts down roots, you'll see it really take off, and that red-tinged foliage is worth the wait. Thanks for giving us the chance to make it right, Rosalyn.
A BIG thanks for my miscanthus!
Miscanthus 'Lady in Red' is such a rewarding grass to grow, with that fine texture and the warm reddish tones it picks up through the season. Thanks for the kind note, John. Give it a season to settle in and it will really hit its stride.
I have planted two, and so far all are doing well.
Two Lady in Red miscanthus off to a good start is great to see. As they settle in over the season, you should notice the red-tinged foliage really deepen, especially in good sun. Thanks for the update, Dale.
Slow service
As promised
I have seen this grass planted in both residential and commercial settings and it is just beautiful! If you're lucky and have full sun, this grass can easily reach 5 feet high and 5 feet wide in just a few years. This is basically "gracillimus," but in a more silvery-green color. I'm giving this a 4 out of 5 until mine gets mature in a few years.
Hi Katharine,
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful and detailed review of the Miscanthus Morning Light Grass! We're thrilled to hear that you appreciate its graceful presence and silver-green hues—it truly is a stunning plant both in residential gardens and larger landscapes. We agree that with full sun, its growth habit is impressive, and it sounds like your plant is on a great path to reaching its mature size.
It’s wonderful that you’re giving it time to fully develop; Maiden Grass does benefit from a few growing seasons to show off its best form. To help your Miscanthus Morning Light thrive, be sure to provide well-drained soil and consider cutting back the grass to about a few inches in late winter or early spring—it encourages fresh, vigorous new growth. Also, regular watering during dry spells will keep it healthy and vibrant as it matures.
If you have any photos to share down the road, we’d love to see how your garden evolves! And should you ever need further advice on ornamental grasses or any other plants, we’re here to assist.
Rooting for your garden’s success,
Your Nature Hills Plant Care Team
I have seen this grass planted in both residential and commercial settings and it is just beautiful! If you're lucky and have full sun, this grass can easily reach 5 feet high and 5 feet wide in just a few years. This is basically "gracillimus," but in a more silvery-green color. I'm giving this a 4 out of 5 until mine gets mature in a few years.
Hello Katharine,
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful insights on the Miscanthus Morning Light Grass! We love hearing how you’ve observed it thriving in both residential and commercial landscapes—it truly is a stunning choice. You’re so right that with full sun, this grass can reach impressive heights and widths fairly quickly, and it sounds like your plant is well on its way. Comparing it to ‘gracillimus’ but noting the more silvery-green hue is a wonderful way to describe Morning Light’s unique charm.
As your grass grows and matures over the next few years, be sure to provide consistent moisture during the growing season and consider cutting it back in late winter or early spring to keep it looking its best each year. If you haven’t already, you might find our care guides on ornamental grasses helpful for optimizing its vibrant color and form as it develops.
We appreciate your honest rating and are here if you experience any concerns or want tips as your plant blossoms.
Bloom on,
The Nature Hills Plant Knowledge Team
I have a sloped backyard and soil erosion is a challenge. Does this plant help address this problem?
Hi Linda,
Thanks for your question!
Yes, ornamental grasses like Miscanthus Morning Light are excellent choices for addressing soil erosion. Here's why and how they can help:
Extensive Root Systems: Miscanthus grasses, including the 'Morning Light' variety, develop deep and fibrous root systems. These roots act like a natural net, holding the soil in place and preventing it from washing away, especially on slopes.
Clumping Growth Habit: 'Morning Light' is a clumping ornamental grass, meaning it grows in a dense, upright clump rather than spreading aggressively by rhizomes. This clumping habit provides a strong, stable presence that effectively anchors the soil within its footprint.
Foliage Cover: The dense foliage of Miscanthus Morning Light also helps reduce the impact of raindrops directly hitting the soil, which can dislodge soil particles. It provides a protective canopy that lessens the erosive force of rainfall.
Adaptability: Miscanthus Morning Light is quite adaptable to various soil conditions and is relatively low-maintenance once established, making it a sustainable solution for erosion control. It prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.
Tips for using Miscanthus Morning Light for Erosion Control:
Planting Density: For effective erosion control, consider planting them in groups or masses rather than as single specimens. This creates a more extensive root network across the slope.
Soil Preparation: Even on a slope, ensure the planting holes are well-prepared with good quality soil to encourage strong root development.
Watering during Establishment: Consistent watering during the first growing season is crucial to help the plants establish a deep and robust root system.
Companion Plants: For very steep slopes, you might consider pairing Miscanthus with other erosion-controlling plants that also have strong root systems or a spreading habit, such as creeping junipers or certain low-growing shrubs.
Miscanthus Morning Light will not only help you address your soil erosion challenge but also add beautiful texture, movement, and year-round interest to your sloped backyard!
Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts
