Class C noxious weeds are those that are of concern but not requiring control. It is more of a monitoring situation than it is one of restricted growing. A fair number of Class C weeds and even a few Class B weeds are still currently marketed by nurseries and other plant purveyors.

Should you buy and plant? Let your conscience be your guide.........but pampas grass is a large growing beast with very sharp blades that can do serious damage, so at least under those terms it is a 'nasty' or people-unfriendly plant. And can be substituted more or less satisfactorily by any number of other, less aggressive and less dangerous ornamental grasses.

I have this, but a lot of people want it for screening out undesirable areas. it gets 8-10 feet tall and as you can see very pretty, huge whitish plumes. Called elephant grass by some.

Hey GG,

I am trying to talk him out of it and the razor sharp leaves are a big negative. What other grasses or plants will do the 3 ft wide and 8 ft tall and not seed about terribly? It is intended to screen the view.

Thanks,

jb

Steelskies, Does it have a cultivar name? Searching on Elephant grass comes up with lots of options. Does it reseed much?

Other than bamboos, there are not many (any?) ornamental grasses that remain evergreen and get that large. Various forms of Miscanthus can get quite large - 6-8' - but these are herbaceous grasses that need to be cut back each season.

'Elephant grass' is the common name for Pennisetum purpureum, an African species that is a favored graze of elephants and not considered winter hardy in our area. I believe the photo labeled as elephant grass is really Saccharum ravennae, or ravenna grass/hardy pampas grass (which is synonymous with Erianthus elephantinus, hence the similar common name). And this is a Class A Noxious weed in WA state. Do NOT plant!!

I've read many threads with "Screen" in the title. There are always tradeoffs and nothing is perfect. Grows to slow, isn't evergreen, spreads to fast, requires too much maint or is a pain to deal with because of sharp pokey leaves. I have a Nandina that is 8 ft tall and am recommending that to him. Thanks for the suggestions.

Tall grasses don't necessarily need to be evergreen for screening. You can leave the dry stalks up all winter and cut back in late winter/early spring then you just have a short window where you lose your screening. (Depending on variety of course).

My neighbour has done this by alternating tall mahonia (evergreen) with a tall ornamental grass and it looks lovely.

Flower heads in picture shown above look like those of a Miscanthus.

junior balloon:

I remember they call it "miscanthus giganteus" (some call it elephant grass) It doesn't reseed, but grows from underground roots. It is a coarse grass, but makes a really good screening, gets 8-10 feet tall, and has huge beautiful tannish-white plumes. I kept the plumes when I cut down the stalks last fall because they are so awesome.

Sue, does the "grows from underground roots" mean you need to control it's rhizome spread?

Miscanthus form tight clumps and do not shoot out to pop up some distance away.

Here's some of my Miscanthus giganteus. Picture taken in early August,.... too early for flowering.

It's a fairly slow spreader and I haven't had it self seed.

WOW! That's some kind of screening! Yes I've found it does spread quite slow and literature says it is sterile so won't reseed. I really like it.

I have more than I need. Maybe I should pot some up.

Miketann, would you be interested in a trade? Was your nick Botann on the old garden web?

Yes, it was. :-)

I'm headed up to Index in a few days and if I remember right, you live near Duvall. That's on the way for me. I could bring some of that big Miscanthus, no problem.