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Ornamental Grasses

Curly Miscanthus 'Gracillimus'?

18 years ago

I recently purchased a 2 gallon pot of Miscanthus 'Gracillimus.' Because we were having some work done on the house, I didn't want to plant it until the work was done. I temporarily put it under a crabapple tree and kept it watered. It appears to be healthy, but the grass blades are becoming curly at the top. Not a tight curl, but a curl nevertheless. Is this something that happens sometimes? Will it return to the fountain appearance that I wanted when it is planted in the sun? Is it mislabeled, and if so, does anyone have any idea what it might be? This is my first grass purchase, and I am pretty confused right now.

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Comments (5)

PollyNY
18 years ago
A lot of the miscanthus curl at times. Morning Light does that quite often, as does Gracillimus. They usually do it more towards the fall here. It may keep the curl this year, but will still have the fountain shape you want. I doubt it is mislabeled, and there is nothing wrong with it. If you wanted a nice fountain shaped grass, you picked a good one, Gracillimus looks like a waterfall by about mid June in Zone 5. You'll like it, don't worry. Polly
lettsbets
Original Author
18 years ago
Polly, thank you so much for responding to my question. Your experience reassures me, and I am very relieved about my curly grass now! I suppose it's possible that being still in a pot, the grass may "think" that fall is coming. At any rate, I won't worry anymore. A couple of years ago I saw a beautiful specimen of this grass at a resort where we stayed. I've wanted one ever since. Thanks again. Betsy
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locust8
18 years ago
Very happy I found this entry about the curling grass. I also purchased a miscanthus, though mine is "Sarabande". I brought it home and have been unable to plant it--it's spent two weeks in its pot--and now the blades are all curled. I live in NY and thought that it might be the hot weather we're having or that it wasn't getting enough water, but I've been watering regularly. At anyrate, I've been very worried as I really, really loved the shape before. The curly texture is nice, but I was worried that it was dying. I intend to repot it tonight in a much larger pot. Any tips on its care throughout the year? Thank you, Sara
PollyNY
18 years ago
Sara----Sarabande---- wonder why you picked that one? Sarabande, and Gracillimus are both very fine leaved, and they seem to be the ones that curl more. The dry conditions, I'm sure, contribute, but it seems some years they just curl. A bigger pot will be better, as it holds water better. Can you plant it in the ground, or will it have to stay in a pot? Miscanthus is hard to kill, don't worry about it, and it should regain the shape you love next year. By the way, check to see if when you water it, if it really is getting a good soaking, or if the water is just running off. I might suggest immersing the plant into about six inches of water for a couple of hours to completely wet the rootball. It will also help if you tease the roots apart a little when you plant it. But they are easy to grow, and will be fine. Enjoy your Sarabande, Sara. Polly
gillespiegardens
18 years ago
i would advise trimming the curls off to improve the appearance of the grass and also to be able to monitor the curling to see if it has abated and is snapping out of the dryness. if you see new curls appearing then i would make some more adjustments in the watering.

Sue
"The one thing all gardeners share in common is a belief in tomorrow"

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