Named for its graceful spray of leaf , this weed sends out blurred flower plumes in recent summer and but ego - seeds freely .
Fountaingrass encompasses a wide variety of landscape painting Grass in thePennisetumgenus . These ornamental grasses are beloved for their soft shape , sprawling nature , and fuzzy plumes . Native to Africa and southern Asia , they derive in a panoptic reach of sizing , human body , and colouration and are unambiguously suitable to landscape design and container gardens likewise .
In general , most varieties of fountaingrass are easy to care for and will repay your efforts with center - watch blooms through summer and early fall . The sess rise as a perennial within its designatedUSDA plant hardiness zone . Outside of those zones , gardeners use it as an annual .
Where to Plant Fountaingrass
Fountaingrass flourish in hot , gay spots that mime its native environment , making the flora a good option for garden beds and landscape areas that lack shade . The dirt should be well - drained and slightly acidic to neutral .
plant life fountaingrass alongside more compendious plants , which will appropriate its size of it and sprawl to take middle point . Alternately , do by the gage like a hedging , implant several in a rowing and allowing the arching , bushy nature of the eatage to act as a privacy screen in your yard .
Fountaingrasses are aboriginal to Africa , Asia , and other tropical , subtropical , and temperate climates . In many arena outside their native range , fountaingrasses are view invasive because they self - seed prolifically , and it may become hard to control their spreading . Pennisetum setaceumis an incursive species in Arizona , California , and Nevada . hold back with your local ordinances before planting in your landscape .
How and When to Plant Fountaingrass
Fountaingrass should be implant in early declination orlate spring after all risk of frost has passed . Planting in either of these season allows the Mary Jane time to become established before either winter reach or the flora know peak growth in the summer .
Because fountaingrasses spread into a beautiful , full shape , you ’ll want to give them passel of room to establish themselves in your landscape . Be sure to locate them at least 5 feet apart from one another or any other plants like in size . Smaller plants can be site closer to fountaingrass , with the expectation that someday the plant may honk a declamatory apparition over them .
Dig a hole deep and wide enough to accommodate the root organisation . move out the flora from its nursery dope and softly tease the root . Place in the hole and backfill with the original grime . water system well after institute until the grass is found . Mulching around the home retain soil wet and suppresses weed ontogenesis .
Fountaingrass Care Tips
Fountaingrass is a vigorous grower that is easy to give care for . However , keeping its encroaching nature under command may require extra elbow grease , so consider cautiously whether it ’s worth embed in your landscape .
Light
Plant fountaingrass somewhere it receives at least six to eight 60 minutes offull sunlightdaily . If these works welcome too little sunshine , they tend to grow leggy or floppy and wo n’t flower .
Soil and Water
Locate fountaingrass in nutrient - productive , moist , and well - draining grease with apH between 5.5 and 7.0 . As it becomes established , fountaingrass should be water on a regular basis , ensuring that the land remains moist but not soggy . Be sure to direct the urine at the stand of the plant when potential to avoid present too much moisture to the dense middle of the plant life .
Once established , fountaingrass is reasonably drought - tolerant . lacrimation once every few hebdomad is usually sufficient .
Temperature and Humidity
Fountaingrasses are warm - weather condition plant , preferring temperatures that are consistently quick and humid , ranging from 75 ° farad to 85 ° F . Some cultivar of the genus are more tolerant of cold weather than others , such as purplish fountaingrass , which is cold - stalwart down to 20 ° degree Fahrenheit .
Fertilizer
As long as fountaingrass is planted in nutrient - dense soil , it does n’t need fertiliser to boom . untried plants may benefit from a yearly program of a balanced organic fertilizer each saltation , which will help them grow a robust tooth root organisation and establish themselves more cursorily .
Pruning
Fountaingrass is a great pick for homeowners calculate for low - maintenance landscape plant , as it does n’t require much training or sustainment . In areas where the grass is recurrent , swerve the plant down to the soil in late fall to insure a beautiful full form the following spring . instead , some people like the wintertime landscape painting interest this plant adds and prefer to dilute it down in former natural spring before the boom of newfangled season growth .
Potting and Repotting Fountaingrass
Many varieties of fountaingrass are well - fit to container gardening , extend an eye - bewitch way to tote up texture and , in some compositor’s case , concealment to your deck or terrace . To implant fountaingrass in a container , start by choosing a potthat has ample space to adapt the flora ’s speedy growth and rich beginning ( at least 12 inches in diam by 12 inches deep to start ) . take a deal made of a natural cloth like corpse or terra - cotta will aid wick away redundant moisture from the soil and forbid the fountaingrass from experiencing base rot .
Fill the container with a gamy - tone potting mix that is well - draining and rich in nutrients . Add perlite or George Sand to the mixtureto meliorate its ability to enfeeble spare water away . Before planting fountaingrass , loosen the root , and bury them so about 1/2 inch of the root ball is still showing above the grime line . Water thoroughly until the supererogatory water run out the base through the drain hollow . grade the container in a spot with ample sun , and be inclined to irrigate it more frequently than you would for landscape grass .
Pests and Problems
Fountaingrass is comparatively take - free , but there are a few gadfly and problems to follow out for .
Fungal disease , such asrust and leaf smudge , may cause yellow or toasting of the leaves and stunt growth . To prevent your plants from developing a fungous disease , space them aside decent in the garden and avoid overwatering .
Slugsand snails are the most common pest you need to expect out for on fountaingrass . While they may take the occasional bite out of the plant ’s leaves , they seldom impose enough damage to have detriment to the plant .
As a noninvasive option to fountaingrass , view plant anornamental grass species that is native to North America , such as deergrass ( Muhlenbergia rigens ) .
How to Propagate Fountaingrass
Fountaingrass , particularly the cultivated varieties , do n’t always produce true from seed . Therefore , it is best to propagate the dope bydividing an existing clod , which also rejuvenate the original plant . In the early spring , shear off last year ’s growth . Using a spade , slice off department with as many roots as possible attached to them , but do n’t make the sections so large that they are too gravid to lift in one piece . Plant the part in its new emplacement without delay at the same profoundness as the original plant . Keep it well water until unexampled growth indicates that it is established .
Types of Fountaingrass
Perennial Fountaingrass
Pennisetum alopecuroidesforms neat but slow 2- to 5 - understructure clumps of 1/2 - inch - blanket leaves that turn golden in fall and persist into the winter . The bottlebrush panicles of silvery - white spikelets ( flowers ) arise in late summer and mature to bronze , according to variety . Zones 6 - 9
‘Prince’ Purple Fountaingrass
Pennisetum setaceum‘Prince ’ shows off delicious purple leafage that deepens in semblance as temperature rise . It grows 3 pes marvelous and 2 groundwork wide . In northern clime , it is often grown as an annual . zone 8 - 11
‘Rubrum’ Purple Fountaingrass
Pennisetum setaceum‘Rubrum ’ makes pitcher of purplish - red foliage . Erect loss stem carry arching 1 - foot - long pinko to red - over-embellished panicles of spikelets from midsummer through fall . It ’s usually grown as an annual , although it is perennial in Zones 8 - 11
Fountaingrass Companion Plants
Fountaingrass reckon great alongside a form of other landscape painting plant , including :
Perennial Salvia
With bright blue / purple efflorescence and lush green leaves , perennial salviagrows showy spikes that make a attractively structured complement to the sporty nature of fountaingrass . Zones 3 - 10
Coneflower
A aboriginal prairie plant , coneflowerthrives in the same hot , gay environs as fountaingrass and is equally adaptable to humid and non - humid environments . The many available colour of coneflower are trusted to belt down against the more electroneutral palette fountaingrass offers . Zones 3 - 9
Black-Eyed Susan
For a low - maintenance and vibrant plant to geminate with fountaingrass , look no further thanblack - eyed Susans . The tough perennial demand little sustainment and boast many of the Lord’s Day and soilpreferences as fountaingrass . Zones 3 - 11
Garden Plans for Fountaingrass
Garden Plan for Attracting Birds and Butterflies
These garden architectural plan were project with birds and butterflies in mind . They are filled with the best character of plants for providing solid food and shelter for wildlife .
Lush Woodland Garden Plan
If you have a wooded arena in your yard , or even just a tree or two , you have the pure shoes to install this lushwoodland garden plan , which is loaded with a extract of soft - textured , specter - loving plants .
Foundation Garden Plan
Thisfoundation garden plancombines blossom perennials and ground cover with evergreen plant bush and a modeled tree .
English-Style Front Yard Garden Plan
ThisEnglish - expressive style front garden plancaptures the essence of a cottage garden with its colorful assortment of plants in natural disorderliness .
Frequently Asked Questions
Because of its floppy , arching nature , there is no way to naturally prepare the works to grow more vertically . If the droop of the industrial plant inconvenience you , post the eye and marry a while of twine around the farewell , but it will not stay that way .
Fountaingrass blooms through the summer and into the surrender , although it will look different than a floral bloom . The plant life erupt in fuzzy - looking sprigs , which then relinquish white , pink , copper , or violet flower spikes above the leave .
Sterile varieties of fountaingrass have been bred to prevent fountaingrass from multiplying uncontrollably in the landscape painting . These kind do not rise seed , so they can not ego - sow . pop assortment arePennisetum alopecuroides‘Etoufee ’ and ‘ Cayenne . ’
update by Nadia Hassani
" Fountain Grass . “National Park Service .
