Porcupine Grass
Yellow-Banded Foliage with a Strong Upright Habit
Porcupine Grass is a bold ornamental grass grown for its stiff, upright green foliage marked with horizontal yellow bands. Botanically known as Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’, this warm-season grass gives sunny landscapes a strong architectural look with color and structure that lasts from summer into winter.
The banding gives each blade a distinctive striped effect, while the upright habit makes the plant feel cleaner and more vertical than softer arching Miscanthus varieties. Use Porcupine Grass where you want height, texture, and a standout foliage accent in full sun.
A More Upright Alternative to Zebra Grass
Porcupine Grass is often compared with Zebra Grass because both have horizontal yellow banding. The difference is habit. Zebra Grass tends to arch more broadly, while Porcupine Grass is known for its more erect, spiky, upright foliage.
That makes Porcupine Grass a better choice where you want a stronger vertical line, a more formal accent, or a grass that reads as architectural rather than flowing. It works well near foundations, property lines, sunny borders, modern plantings, and large mixed perennial beds.
Late-Season Plumes and Winter Interest
In mid to late fall, Porcupine Grass can produce crinkly silver plumes that rise above the banded foliage. Depending on the season and climate, the plumes may first show copper, pink, or bronze tones before aging to silvery white.
Flowering may vary in cooler regions or shorter growing seasons, but the foliage alone carries the display for much of the year. Leave the dried stems and plumes standing through winter for movement, structure, and seasonal interest, then cut back before spring growth begins.
A Tall Grass for Screens, Specimens, and Backdrops
Porcupine Grass commonly reaches about 6–8 feet tall in bloom and about 3–5 feet wide, making it useful as a specimen grass, seasonal privacy screen, back-of-border anchor, or repeating vertical accent. It adds height without the woody permanence of shrubs.
Plant it with sun-loving perennials and shrubs that can handle the same bright conditions. Coneflowers, black-eyed Susan, sedum, Russian sage, catmint, salvia, asters, switchgrass, little bluestem, junipers, and compact evergreens all pair well with its bold foliage.
Low Maintenance, Sun Loving, and Deer Resistant
Plant Porcupine Grass in full sun for the strongest growth, brightest banding, and best plume production. It adapts to a wide range of soils once established, including average garden soils, as long as the site drains reasonably well.
Porcupine Grass is generally considered deer-resistant and drought-tolerant once established. Avoid overfertilizing, which can encourage floppy growth. Because Miscanthus sinensis can reseed or be restricted in some regions, check local guidance before planting, especially near natural areas.
Yellow-Banded Foliage with a Strong Upright Habit
Porcupine Grass is a bold ornamental grass grown for its stiff, upright green foliage marked with horizontal yellow bands. Botanically known as Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’, this warm-season grass gives sunny landscapes a strong architectural look with color and structure that lasts from summer into winter.
The banding gives each blade a distinctive striped effect, while the upright habit makes the plant feel cleaner and more vertical than softer arching Miscanthus varieties. Use Porcupine Grass where you want height, texture, and a standout foliage accent in full sun.
A More Upright Alternative to Zebra Grass
Porcupine Grass is often compared with Zebra Grass because both have horizontal yellow banding. The difference is habit. Zebra Grass tends to arch more broadly, while Porcupine Grass is known for its more erect, spiky, upright foliage.
That makes Porcupine Grass a better choice where you want a stronger vertical line, a more formal accent, or a grass that reads as architectural rather than flowing. It works well near foundations, property lines, sunny borders, modern plantings, and large mixed perennial beds.
Late-Season Plumes and Winter Interest
In mid to late fall, Porcupine Grass can produce crinkly silver plumes that rise above the banded foliage. Depending on the season and climate, the plumes may first show copper, pink, or bronze tones before aging to silvery white.
Flowering may vary in cooler regions or shorter growing seasons, but the foliage alone carries the display for much of the year. Leave the dried stems and plumes standing through winter for movement, structure, and seasonal interest, then cut back before spring growth begins.
A Tall Grass for Screens, Specimens, and Backdrops
Porcupine Grass commonly reaches about 6–8 feet tall in bloom and about 3–5 feet wide, making it useful as a specimen grass, seasonal privacy screen, back-of-border anchor, or repeating vertical accent. It adds height without the woody permanence of shrubs.
Plant it with sun-loving perennials and shrubs that can handle the same bright conditions. Coneflowers, black-eyed Susan, sedum, Russian sage, catmint, salvia, asters, switchgrass, little bluestem, junipers, and compact evergreens all pair well with its bold foliage.
Low Maintenance, Sun Loving, and Deer Resistant
Plant Porcupine Grass in full sun for the strongest growth, brightest banding, and best plume production. It adapts to a wide range of soils once established, including average garden soils, as long as the site drains reasonably well.
Porcupine Grass is generally considered deer-resistant and drought-tolerant once established. Avoid overfertilizing, which can encourage floppy growth. Because Miscanthus sinensis can reseed or be restricted in some regions, check local guidance before planting, especially near natural areas.
Original: $39.95
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$11.99Description
Yellow-Banded Foliage with a Strong Upright Habit
Porcupine Grass is a bold ornamental grass grown for its stiff, upright green foliage marked with horizontal yellow bands. Botanically known as Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’, this warm-season grass gives sunny landscapes a strong architectural look with color and structure that lasts from summer into winter.
The banding gives each blade a distinctive striped effect, while the upright habit makes the plant feel cleaner and more vertical than softer arching Miscanthus varieties. Use Porcupine Grass where you want height, texture, and a standout foliage accent in full sun.
A More Upright Alternative to Zebra Grass
Porcupine Grass is often compared with Zebra Grass because both have horizontal yellow banding. The difference is habit. Zebra Grass tends to arch more broadly, while Porcupine Grass is known for its more erect, spiky, upright foliage.
That makes Porcupine Grass a better choice where you want a stronger vertical line, a more formal accent, or a grass that reads as architectural rather than flowing. It works well near foundations, property lines, sunny borders, modern plantings, and large mixed perennial beds.
Late-Season Plumes and Winter Interest
In mid to late fall, Porcupine Grass can produce crinkly silver plumes that rise above the banded foliage. Depending on the season and climate, the plumes may first show copper, pink, or bronze tones before aging to silvery white.
Flowering may vary in cooler regions or shorter growing seasons, but the foliage alone carries the display for much of the year. Leave the dried stems and plumes standing through winter for movement, structure, and seasonal interest, then cut back before spring growth begins.
A Tall Grass for Screens, Specimens, and Backdrops
Porcupine Grass commonly reaches about 6–8 feet tall in bloom and about 3–5 feet wide, making it useful as a specimen grass, seasonal privacy screen, back-of-border anchor, or repeating vertical accent. It adds height without the woody permanence of shrubs.
Plant it with sun-loving perennials and shrubs that can handle the same bright conditions. Coneflowers, black-eyed Susan, sedum, Russian sage, catmint, salvia, asters, switchgrass, little bluestem, junipers, and compact evergreens all pair well with its bold foliage.
Low Maintenance, Sun Loving, and Deer Resistant
Plant Porcupine Grass in full sun for the strongest growth, brightest banding, and best plume production. It adapts to a wide range of soils once established, including average garden soils, as long as the site drains reasonably well.
Porcupine Grass is generally considered deer-resistant and drought-tolerant once established. Avoid overfertilizing, which can encourage floppy growth. Because Miscanthus sinensis can reseed or be restricted in some regions, check local guidance before planting, especially near natural areas.
