Miscanthus sinensis - Joint Fire Science Program

Miscanthus sinensis
inches (1,144 mm), with the wettest month occurring in August and the driest month in February [95]. Chinese
silvergrass occasionally occurred in a longleaf pine ecosystem of the Sandhills region in the southeastern United States
that experienced 4 distinct annual seasons. Humid southwestern airflows predominated during late spring and summer,
while northwesterly cold fronts alternated with easterly rainy spells during late fall and winter. Fall and spring were the
driest seasons. The average winter temperature was 44 °F (6.9 °C), while the average summer temperature was 78.8 °F
(26.0 °C). Annual precipitation averaged 47 inches (1,200 mm) of rain plus 3.0 inches (75 mm) of snow [93].
Temperature may influence Chinese silvergrass's elevational distribution (see Elevation).
In Japan, Chinese silvergrass occurs in subarctic, cool-temperate, and warm-temperate climates [83]. It has been
reported on sites with annual mean temperatures ranging from 44 °F (6.5 °C) [34,51] to 64.8 °F (18.2 °C)
[37,54,57,58,78] and annual mean precipitation ranging from around 47 inches (1,200 mm) [51,78] to 144 inches
(3,670 mm) [34,37,54,57,58]. In a 3-year field test across several countries, Chinese silvergrass established and grew
on sites where average annual rainfall from April to September ranged from 5.79 inches (147 mm) to 18.1 inches (459
mm) [14].
Tests performed in Europe indicate that Chinese silvergrass hybrids are tolerant of cold, although level of cold
tolerance may vary between cultivars. Chinese silvergrass had greater tolerance of frost than other species of
Miscanthus, which was attributed to lower moisture content in its rhizomes [11]. In field tests in Denmark and
Sweden, Chinese silvergrass rhizomes survived winter soil temperatures below 24 °F (-4.5 °C) [14].
Elevation: Chinese silvergrass occurs at elevations