We grow over two dozen varieties of this multifaceted, cosmopolitan genus. Why so many? Because no two are alike. Let’s inventory their assets and characteristics.

Size: Our fountain grass offerings range from awww!-some cuties like ‘Little Bunny’, a mere 10 – 12” tall, all the way up to statuesque six-footers in the Royal Collection.

Foliage: Name it! At one end of the color spectrum is the bright chartreuse of P. alopecuroides 'Yellow Ribbons’. On the dark side are the Royals, with big, rippling, jet-black blades. In between? Green, of course, plus burgundy, pale pink, hot pink and various variegations. Autumn brings a show of blazing reds and oranges.

Flowers: The little guys produce cute little white “bunny tail” blooms. Others adorn the garden with nodding foxtails and fat bottlebrush plumes of white, tan, smoky purple and dark red. The Royal Collection produces no flowers at all in most of North America. Those dazzling blades are the whole show.

Hardiness: Most varieties are hardy from USDA Zones 6 (5 with protection) through 9. Others, like best-selling P. ‘Rubrum’ and the Royal Collection, are grown as annuals. 

Recap: In previous episodes we’ve seen four little guys, 11 midsize/mid-border options including the Infertile Collection, and the big, brash Royal Collection. What more can you ask of a single genus? We’ve saved the best-known variety for last!

Of course you know this one. It’s everywhere! 

It’s slathered on landscapes public and private, it’s the “thriller” in large containers on Main Street, it flanks gateways and garden paths. As a solitary specimen or massed in drifts, there are few places you can go and NOT see the dark leaves and nodding burgundy foxtail plumes of “purple fountain grass.” And that’s just in North America. This north African/western Asian native has conquered Europe, too. It’s a recipient of England’s prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit

Culture Notes

Technically a tender perennial (Zones 9 – 11), this ubiquitous grass is best grown as an annual. It’s adaptable to a range of soil types and moderately drought-tolerant once established. Plant in full sun for best show.

We offer P. ‘Rubrum’ in four tray sizes (128, 72, 38 and whopping 21), so there’s bound to be a liner that fits your production needs.

Tall, small and in-between, tough or tender, the best Pennisetums start in smooth-planting, fast-finishing liners from Emerald Coast Growers – your easy choice!