Also known as monkeygrass or spider grass in the Southeast, this common landscaping plant has become invasive in the United States. It is an herbaceous, grass-like flowering plant native to East and Southeast Asia. The small, showy flowers occur on erect spikes with tiered whorls of dense, white to purple flowers rising above the leaves in late summer. This and many other cultivars of this plant are commercially available but should be avoided, given its ability to escape residential gardens and its poor wildlife value.
