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September 29, 2023

October Weed of the Month: Amur Silvergrass

Amur silvergrass is regulated as a restricted noxious weed in Minnesota

Monika Chandler, Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Amur silvergrass (Miscanthus sacchariflorus) is an attractive ornamental grass with tall plumes in the fall. It’s native to China, Korea, Japan, and Russia and escaped cultivation in the United States. It spreads by seed and underground stems (rhizomes). Based on an extensive risk assessment, Amur silvergrass is regulated as a restricted noxious weed in Minnesota. It is known to form single-species stands.

Amur silvergrass spreads by underground stems to form large clumps.

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Amur silvergrass has green leaves that turn reddish-orange in the fall and showy flowerheads (panicles). It can grow 6-8 feet tall and forms spreading clumps. Similar species also grown in Minnesota include Chinese silvergrass (M. sinensis) and giant miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), a hybrid of Amur and Chinese silvergrasses. Amur silvergrass has been collected in cold parts of Russia to use as a parent in breeding a more cold-hardy giant miscanthus. You can find more information on these species on the University of Minnesota website.

In Minnesota, Amur silvergrass has been documented in several counties. In some cases, populations have been documented to produce low levels of seed, causing concern that this plant could easily escape from gardens and other ornamental plantings and spread over greater distances.

To limit the risk of escape and spread of this plant in Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture recommends that landowners with Amur silvergrass remove it and consider replacing it with native grasses. For recommendations about native and sustainable grasses, see Growing Ornamental Home Landscape Grasses and check out the Ornamental Grass Collection at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

MEDIA: For more information on Weed of the Month, contact Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications, at brittany.raveill@state.mn.us or 651-201-6131