Miscanthus Red Spear is a new release for Spring 2025 from Knoll Gardens. It is a selection that we have been trialling for some years and are now delighted to be able to offer it to gardeners here in the UK. Miscanthus Red Spear forms clumps of silver ribbed green foliage from which arise tall strongly upright stems which produce flower buds reminiscent of spear heads until they burst into bright red inflorescences that remain pointing skyward. Miscanthus Red Spear grows to a height of between 1.8m – 2.1 m.
As with other Knoll Gardens selections Miscanthus Red Spear has been undergoing trials both in the garden and on the nursery for almost fifteen years. Red Spear was first spotted as a seedling in the garden, growing close to Miscanthus Malepartus, and was selected for its bright red upright facing buds and flowers that even as a young plant were held well clear of the foliage. When large enough that original seedling was lifted and split to make several small plants that were then grown on in our nursery trial area for a few seasons to see how they developed. Once we had sufficient stock some were planted back into the garden in the Long Walk borders where it has since provided a wonderful display of clear red buds and flowers every year whatever the weather. Proving itself a thoroughly reliable performer for our UK climate.
Miscanthus Red Spear can be seen as a generous drift at the back of the Long Walk borders and also as part of the planting in the Mill End borders where its height and elegant nature works very effectively with eupatorum, persicaria, panicum and agapanthus. It works nicely as a drift or group in borders but is equally effective when used as a single plant or in larger containers.
Like all miscanthus, Miscanthus Red Spear performs best in a full sun position in a range of soils which are not too winter wet. It is a long lived and trouble free deciduous grass that will retain its upright outline for the winter, only requiring the old foliage to be cut to the ground each spring once the worst of the winter weather is past.
