Miscanthus × giganteus (giant miscanthus; Mxg) is a seed-sterile, perennial bioenergy crop with the potential to produce liquid fuel from lignocellulosic biomass. A new cultivar, Freedom, is being commercially grown in the USA on increasing acreage. To determine this genotype's regeneration responses in tissue culture, three explant sources were screened on media proven successful for other genotypes. Four callus induction media contained 13.6-22.6 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) alone or with 0.44-4.4 μM 6-benzyladenine (BA). Callus induction percentages for all explants ranged from 93 to 97%. Media yielding the greatest percentages of explants producing regenerable calli for shoot apices (from in vitro and greenhouse plant sources) were media containing either 13.6 μM 2,4-D plus 0.44 μM BA or 22.6 μM 2,4-D plus 0.44 μM BA. After culture on a regeneration medium containing 22 μM BA plus 1.3 μM naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 3.59-3.74 regenerants were obtained per explant. Immature inflorescence explants (from field-maintained plants) gave up to 77% regenerable calli and 6.99 regenerants per explant. Direct regenerants (shoots) arose from immature inflorescence explants on a medium containing 9.0 μM 2,4-D. Intact plants could be generated within 16-18 wk after culture initiation. Extensive visual assessments, and molecular assessments via inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) PCR analysis using 21 different primers, did not reveal distinguishable somaclonal variation among regenerants or when compared to rhizome-propagated transplants under field conditions. We believe that this is the first extensive in vitro and ex vitro analysis on a commercially grown Mxg genotype.