Here is my original post. It took me awhile to figure out how to post the photos after Stitz requested them. I am so excited but I'm afraid I could be wrong...I have pretty good luck blooming orchids, even though I don't use artificial light. Almost everything I've ever tried: Phaleanopsis (multiple) Paph, Beallara, Burrageara, Dancing Ladies, Oncidiums, Cockleshell, Cymbidium, Colmanara, Psychopsis, Dendrobium (hard and soft cane), potinara, cattlaya, do grow and bloom for me. I have issues with only a couple: zygopetalum, warm growing cyms and phaius. Phaius is the ONLY one I haven't gotten to bloom AT ALL. I've had this plant for at least 3 years and I've done everything I can think of....and I'm not sure but I think I may see my first spikes? Although they are still only an inch or less tall, they look a bit different from other new growths. They seem much wider at the base and they are growing wider than the typical growths, they are a bit thicker, too, and have teeny, tiny reddish spots? I haven't been able to locate any decent photos online of phaius spikes at this stage. Can anyone help? Could these be spikes?

jekeesl, you will not hear me complain about your "lengthy non-answer"! The responses from you and saltcedar are exactly what I was looking for when I posted here: a healthy discussion about what this plant might be. So thank you to you both. I did do some more investigating, reading, and thinking. Here's my train of thought thus far. Of the 4 Spiranthes that you mentioned, which should be blooming now and are found in MS, only S. vernalis has previously been reported in Noxubee County. [ http://arcmapper.sc.egov.usda.gov/output/Counties_hyborea1v2068285225436.jpg ] I think that S. lucida is out because of its rarity, and it's leaves and height are wrong for this specimen. S. praecox is a closer fit in appearane, but it's rarity in the state tends to preclude it more than S. vernalis. I think that S. tuberosa is just too short for this specimen. I did read about the inflorescences of S. vernalis being quite variable, ranging from secund to loosely and even densely coiled, and flower shapes vary as well. [ http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101968 ] All this leads me to believe that it probably is S. vernalis, but I will have to go back and double check carefully (with a magnifying glass) to be sure! thanks again, Katie

Interesting, buyorsell888. I promise that my 'Morning Light' and those in other gardens around here quickly get wider than 10 or 12 inches. And when it comes to miscanthus in general, the variegated cultivars like 'Morning Light' are a bit less vigorous than the solid green forms, but I would hardly say that "none of them is a rapid grower for me," except perhaps for the lovely but timid new variety 'Gold Bar.' I think that our observations speak to the nature of miscanthus grasses as classic C4 plants, which grow fastest in hot weather. Our longer, hotter summers here in North Carolina are certainly a mixed blessing on the whole, but they evidently inspire much faster growth in miscanthuses. I would suppose that the conditions in miclino's garden in Michigan may be intermediate between you and I, and so the vigor of a miscanthus there may be intermediate, but I don't really know. Having said all of this, it may be academic anyway. This seemed to be one of those threads (of which there are many on GardenWeb) where those replying to it seem to have been more interested in it than the original poster. ;) C'est la vie!

We've all got things that keep us awake at night. But in my world, 9 or 10 feet until concrete is exactly the same as no concrete in sight anywhere. That is, I would never worry about such a supposed issue. My gawd, we plant thousands of street trees which would never make the cut if that were a limiting factor! Not yelling at you, Joe, just saying, it's good to think ahead, but don't let that thinking paralyze you!