Cortaderia selloana (pampas grass, "Shiroganeyoshi")

Japanese name: シロガネヨシ （白銀葦）
Scientific name: Cortaderia selloana

[Overview]
A large evergreen perennial found in the pampas grasslands of South America, growing 2–3 m tall.
The stems grow in dense clumps, forming a large plant.
The leaves are linear, 1–3 m long and 2–3 cm wide, and are produced in great numbers.
It is dioecious, and the female plants, which have larger inflorescences, are the ones grown for ornament.
Both male and female inflorescences are panicles borne at the stem tips.
The male inflorescence is slender and poor.
The female inflorescence is 40–80 cm long and looks silvery white and feathery because the lemmas of the spikelets have long hairs.
The inflorescence may turn pale pink in autumn.

[History]
It was introduced to Japan in the middle of the Meiji period.

[Uses]
The inflorescences are also used for flower arrangement and dried flowers.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division, but plants raised from seed tend to vary in character.
It is somewhat sensitive to cold, so the suitable area for cultivation is the Kanto region and south.
It is not very particular about soil as long as the site is sunny.
It is easy to grow, but it becomes a large plant and needs plenty of space.
The leaves can cause injury, so it is not suitable near places where people walk.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

[Notes]
The leaves have sharp edges like those of Susuki (Japanese pampas grass) and can cut the hands, so care is needed.

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