Common name: Fountain Grass
Family: Poaceae, Grass
Height x width: 3-4' x 2-3'
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: 2-3' long and ¼" wide, culms (flower stalks) to 4' long, bright green in summer turning golden brown in fall
Flowers: 5-7" flower spikes resembling soft bottle brushes, reddish brown
Hardiness: zones 5-9
Soil: well-drained, moist
Light: sun, tolerates light shade, doesn't flower in dense shade
Pests and Problems: none
Landscape habit, uses: masses, groups or specimen; borders, containers; tolerates wind and salt spray; cut in summer
Other interest: flowers shatter in fall so no winter effect as with many other grasses; native to China; name is from the Latin penna meaning feather and seta meaning bristle, refering to the feathery bristles or awns
Other culture: low maintenance
Propagation: spring division, seed for species only
Species:
Those marked * in tables below are most seen in U.S. commerce.
| Species | height | zones | flowers | other |
| *alopecuroides | 3-4' | 5-9 | golden | |
| caudatum | 3-4' | 6-9 | white | vigorous |
| incomptum | 3-4' | 5-9 | white | early, vigorous groundcover |
| orientale | 1-2' | 6-9 | pink | early through summer blooms, tolerates dry |
| *setaceum | 2-3' | 9-10 | pink | arching foliage |
| villosum | 2-3' | 8-10 | purplish | Feathertop, feathery plumes |
Cultivars:
| Cultivar | species | height | flowers | other |
| 'Atropurpureum':'Purpureum' | setaceum | |||
| 'Burgundy Giant' | setaceum | purple-red | wide purplish leaves | |
| 'Cassian' | alopecuroides | 2-3' | dark tan | amber tinted leaves, compact |
| 'Compressum' | alopecuroides | 2-3' | white tips | arching habit, zones 6-9 |
| 'Cupreum':'Rubrum' | setaceum | |||
| *'Hameln' | alopecuroides | 1-2' | dark tan | a smaller 'Cassian', popular |
| 'Hertstzauber' ('Autumn Magic') | alopecuroides | 2-3' | greenish | zones 6-9 |
| 'Japonicum' | alopecuroides | 4-5' | brown | large flowers |
| *'Little Bunny' | alopecuroides | 1' | tan | zones 6-9 |
| 'Little Honey' | alopecuroides | 1' | tan | variegated foliage |
| *'Moudry' | alopecuroides | 2-3' | blackish | very late bloom, good cut |
| 'National Arboretum' | alopecuroides | 2-3' | brown | dark green foliage, very late |
| *'Purpureum' | setaceum | crimson | purple | |
| 'Rubrum | setaceum | burgundy | foliage maroon | |
| 'Rubrum Compactum' | setaceum | 1-2' | burgundy | 1-2' version of 'Rubrum' |
| 'Viridescens':'Moudry' | ||||
| 'Weserbergland' | alopecuroides | 1-2' | tan | wider than tall, zones 6-9 |
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