This ia a genus of perennial grasses, mainly from tropical and sub-tropical regions, but there is one species, Miscanthus sinensis, from temperate areas of east Asia. Varieties of this species, and some hybrids of it, provide spectacular grasses. Most of them are big - and that means very big - 3 metres of more. The flowers are white or pink, and when waving in the wind are wonderful.

Miscanthus sinensis 'Kleine Silberspinne' is an elegant grass, making rounded clumps of very narrow, green leaves, and from late summer onwards there are spikes of lovely silvery flowers, with a reddish tinge.