Fountaingrass encompasses a wide variety of landscape grasses in thePennisetumgenus.
These ornamental grasses are beloved for their soft shape, sprawling nature, and fuzzy plumes.
The grass grows as a perennial within its designatedUSDA plant hardiness zones.
Outside of those zones, gardeners use it as an annual.
The soil should be well-drained and slightly acidic to neutral.
Plant fountaingrass alongside more compact plants, which will allow its size and sprawl to take center stage.
Fountaingrasses are native to Africa, Asia, and other tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates.
Check with your local ordinances before planting in your landscape.
Dig a hole deep and wide enough to accommodate the root system.
Remove the plant from its nursery pot and gently tease the roots.
Place in the hole and backfill with the original soil.
Water well after planting until the grass is established.
Mulching around the base retains soil moisture and suppresses weed growth.
Fountaingrass Care Tips
Fountaingrass is a vigorous grower that is easy to care for.
Light
Plant fountaingrass somewhere it receives at least six to eight hours offull sunlightdaily.
If these plants receive too little sunlight, they tend to grow leggy or floppy and wont flower.
Once established, fountaingrass is fairly drought-tolerant.
Watering once every few weeks is usually sufficient.
Fertilizer
As long as fountaingrass is planted in nutrient-dense soil, it doesnt need fertilizer to thrive.
Water thoroughly until the excess water runs out the base through the drainage holes.
Slugsand snails are the most common pests you oughta look out for on fountaingrass.
How to Propagate Fountaingrass
Fountaingrass, especially the cultivated varieties, dont always grow true from seed.
In the early spring, shear off last years growth.
Plant the section in its new location without delay at the same depth as the original plant.
Keep it well watered until new growth indicates that it is established.
It grows 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.
In northern climates, it is often grown as an annual.
Zones 8-11
Rubrum Purple Fountaingrass
Pennisetum setaceumRubrum makes mounds of purplish-red leaves.
Erect red stems carry arching 1-foot-long pink to reddish-purple panicles of spikelets from midsummer through fall.
The many available colors of coneflower are sure to pop against the more neutral palette fountaingrass offers.
The tough perennials require little maintenance and boast many of the sun and soilpreferences as fountaingrass.
They are filled with the best types of plants for providing food and shelter for wildlife.
Foundation Garden Plan
Thisfoundation garden plancombines flowering perennials and groundcovers with evergreen shrubs and a sculptural tree.
Fountaingrass blooms through the summer and into the fall, although it will look different than a floral bloom.
Sterile varieties of fountaingrass have been bred to prevent fountaingrass from multiplying uncontrollably in the landscape.
These varieties do not develop seeds, so they cannot self-sow.
Popular varieties arePennisetum alopecuroidesEtoufee and Cayenne.
Updated by Nadia Hassani
“Fountain Grass.
“National Park Service.
