Plant Profile: Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'

Names

Eulalia, Morning Light Miscanthus

  • Photo of Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' (Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light's)

Phonetic Spelling:miss-KANTH-us sih-NEN-sis MOR-ning LYTE

Genus:Miscanthus

Species:sinensis

Family:Poaceae

In 1976, the U.S. National Arboretum introduced this plant, sourced from the Japanese horticulturist Masato Yokoi. The 'Morning Light' variety is a more compact and delicately textured alternative to the well-known M. s. 'Gracillimus'. Its slender green leaves feature three striking white stripes, creating a dazzling silver appearance. This plant thrives in warm conditions and is well-suited to well-drained, moist soils. It is resilient against lodging, whether in full sun or partial shade. The rhizomes of 'Morning Light' grow at a slow pace, preserving a clump-like form; however, in milder climates, it has the potential to reseed and become invasive. To mitigate reseeding issues, mulching is highly recommended.

For further details on Miscanthus sinensis, please refer to additional resources.

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Feature Summary

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Image Gallery

Tags

#drought tolerant
#cpp
#deer resistant

Similar Plants

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Feature Summary

Attributes
Deer resistant. Birds like the seeds
Perennial
Flowers
Reddish bronze inflorescence in fall; maturing to cream
Brown/Copper
Cream/Tan
Good Cut
Showy
Good Dried
Leaves
Very narrow green leaves with white variegation on the margins. Foliage has an overall silvery appearance.
Green
White
Gold/Yellow
Cream/Tan
> 6 inches
< 1 inch
Whole Plant Traits
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Rounded
Erect
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Fruit
Caryopsis
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Cottage Garden
Water Garden
Border
Foundation Planting
Accent
Screen/Privacy
Specimen
Drought
Deer
Pollution
Dry Soil
Erosion
Black Walnut
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Coastal
Pond
Songbirds

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Attributes

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Wildlife Value

Deer resistant. Birds like the seeds

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Flowers

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Flower Description

Reddish bronze inflorescence in fall; maturing to cream

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Flower Color

filter_vintage
Brown/Copper
filter_vintage
Cream/Tan

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Leaves

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Leaf Description

Very narrow green leaves with white variegation on the margins. Foliage has an overall silvery appearance.

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Leaf Color

spa
Cream/Tan
spa
Gold/Yellow
spa
Green
spa
White

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Cream/Tan

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Hairs Present

No
Yes

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Whole Plant Traits

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Cultural Conditions

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Fruit

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Stem

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Landscape

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light': Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees