Japanese silver grass; Miscanthus sinensis
A tall perennial grass with feathery plumes, common in Japanese autumn landscapes. Often associated with the moon-viewing season.
In autumn, the plumes of Japanese silver grass sway in the wind.
We decorate with susuki grass for moon viewing.
ススキ and 荻 are both tall autumn grasses with silvery plumes, but ススキ has narrower leaves and grows upright in drier fields, while 荻 is taller and favors wet, marshy ground.
Katakana spelling is common for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling, also common and consistent with usual-kana usage.
Alternate kanji spelling, very rare; no priority is specified.
Kanji spelling is rare and may be confused with other readings such as うす; lists it a high priority but the word is usually written in kana.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 薄 is used for its meaning 'thin' or 'pampas grass', but the word itself is likely a native Japanese term.