Monday, February 1, 2010

What are these?

I'm hoping someone who reads this blog can help me to identify the plants in this photo.



I see these things often around here and think they are quite beautiful. Any ideas? -- PL

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey pete, not sure what they are called but i see thousands and thousand of those on nj rt 3 highway all the time. i usually see them by the swamp lands too in secaucus. sorry i dont know what there called tho.

joe-eyeball said...

It looks like a type of miscanthus (maiden grass). It's a good thing to leave any ornamental grass up through the winter as they usually have a very cool dried effect.

Vaughn Michael said...

I have one in my yard also I have no idea what they are lol

Unknown said...

It's a type of ornamental grass. Tough to say what kind because they all look alike when they've died back. A lot of people leave them up because they look quite beautiful when the snow is on and around them. Come spring the dead wood will be cut back and the new growth will emerge.

Anonymous said...

Could be phragmites?

joe-eyeball said...

I don't think it is Phragmites. Phragmites is typically found in either wetland regions or along highways. Plus that clump in the photo is solitary. Phragmites typically spreads fast and is highly invasive and is not the most desirable ornamental grass to have in the landscape. I would place money that it is Maiden grass (miscanthus sinensis) A mature specimen of that species.

Unknown said...

We have similar plants in southern California, but they don't dry up like this one. We just call them pampas grass.

Sakai