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Photo by Karl Gercens III

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Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan'

Also Known As

Cosmopolitan Maiden Grass

Plant type

perennial, grass / grass like

size

H: 5'-8'
W: 4'-5'

planting zones

6a-9b

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Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan' plant details

Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan' is a fast-growing deciduous perennial grass (or grassy in appearance) with blue, green and variegated foliage. In fall and summer tan flowers emerge. Features grassy texture. Grows well with sun - mostly shade and even moisture - regular water. Does well in average and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant, humidity tolerant and verticillium wilt resistant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan'

Plant type: perennial grass (or grassy in appearance)
Plant family: poaceae
Foliage: deciduous blue, green and variegated
Mature size: 4 FT - 5 FT - wide, 5 FT - 8 FT - tall
Flowers: tan blooms in fall and summer
Uses: easy-to-grow, showy

GROWING CONDITIONS for Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan'

USDA Zones: 6a - 9b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly shade
Watering frequency: even moisture - regular
Resistant to: deer and snail / slug, heat, humidity and verticillium wilt
Soil needs: average and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

This gorgeous cultivar has such wide, robust leaves of creamy white and green that it looks like a cross between Miscanthus and Arundo donax 'Versicolor'. It has an upright habit and is topped with silky tassels in late summer. Miscanthus are one of the best grasses for year-round beauty at the back of the border: new green shoots in the spring become tall blue-green linear leaves that form an elegant clump by midsummer. Attractive flowers emerge in fall. In winter the leaves turn straw colour.

By: Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants Ltd.

Usher this towering variegated aristocrat into your landscape and a bold statement is yours to enjoy. Wide semievergreen blades feature white streaked margins and green centers with creamy white vertical stripes. Strong stems hurl skyward, supporting the outward arching foliage and, come late summer, they unfurl a sea of silky copper red tassels, eventually maturing to fawn-colored seed heads. Discovered in Japan during the 1940s, the mighty 'Cosmopolitan' shapes a robust, dense, yet billowy mass that never flops, serves well as a noble specimen, hedge or screen, and rustles delightfully in the wind.

By: Digging Dog Nursery

The reverse of Cabaret; wide blades of grass with green centers and wide white edges; 'Cabaret' and 'Cosmopolitan' the above are the two most attractive vertically variegated clones. ZONE 5

By: Arrowhead Alpines

A handsome cultivar with broad, boldly white-striped foliage in clumps to 8' tall. Silver-white flowers rise to 2' above the foliage in late summer, fading to almond in the fall. One of the best of the variegated forms, it is also shade tolerant and maintains a strong upright habit. This is the last of the Miscanthus in our garden to turn, holding its variegated foliage often until Christmas.

By: Native Sons

Garden photo gallery of Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan'

Photo of Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan' foliage by Karl Gercens III

By: Karl Gercens III

By: Karl Gercens III

By: Max Wahrhaftig

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 license.

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By: Max Wahrhaftig

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 license.

Photo of Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan' flower by Karl Gercens III

By: Karl Gercens III

By: Karl Gercens III

Gardening facts about Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan' plant

How to Grow Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan'

Sun Exposure
- sun - mostly shade
Water Needs
- even moisture - regular
Soil Needs
- average
- well-drained
Special Situation
- heat tolerant
- humidity tolerant
- verticillium wilt resistant