Miscanthus sinensis ‘Navajo' (PBR)

Chinese Silver Grass Poaceae

A small Miscanthus with a surprisingly large personality — and one that clearly didn’t read the rulebook about waiting until autumn to turn red. ‘Navajo’ forms a compact, fountain-shaped clump of narrow, arching foliage, flushed red in spring before settling to olive green through summer. As autumn approaches the colour intensifies spectacularly, progressing through bronze and orange into rich red and purple tones. Above this colourful foliage appear airy, silvery-pink flowerheads in late summer, gradually fading to silver and remaining attractive well into winter. Selected by Dutch plantsman Johannes Nicolaas Mesker, ‘Navajo’ was introduced at Plantarium in 2015, where it received a Silver Medal. Compact, clump-forming and admirably well behaved, it is particularly useful in smaller gardens and containers. Give it full sun for the strongest foliage colour and a moist but well-drained soil.

Cultivar origin: Selected by Johannes Nicolaas Mesker, Netherlands; introduced at Plantarium 2015.
Flowering: September–October
Hardiness: H6, approximately −20 to −15°C
Height: 100–150 cm
Spread: 50–100 cm