On Feb 19, 12:24 pm, Doug Houseman wrote:
In article ,



Better than Bamboo is Miscanthus, it is native to the great plains and
may have ranged into Indiana. It has deep and strong roots (remember the
stories about sodbusters - it was Miscanthus they were busting). It is
not subject to most weather issues in the midwest.

It is the grass that is being looked at for biomass and biofuels because
of its ability to grow and spread quickly.

That having been said - it does grow and spread quickly and it has deep
roots. If you ever intend to grow something else there - don't plant it.
Keep it well mowed in areas you do not want it to spread in and remember
the roots can run 2 or 3 feet without popping up and then suddenly - you
have it.

in small form it looks like grass - allowed to grow to full height -
some varieties can top 8 feet in a summer. Deer and other wildlife find
it an acceptable food, especially in the spring, because it starts
greening up faster than most grass.

OBTW - the popular name is switch grass. Most nurseries carry at least
one variety.

Just to clarify this:
Miscanthus is a genus of grasses native to subtropical and tropical
regions of Africa and Southern Asia. It is not native to any region of
the US.
Switch grass is in the genus Panicum. It is not a Miscanthus.
Emilie