Annual Fountain Grass Cenchrus setaceus
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Pennisetum setaceum
- Phonetic Spelling
- pen-nih-SEE-tum seh-TAY-see-um
- This plant is an invasive species in North Carolina
- Description
-
Annual Fountain Grass is a mounding, clumping herbaceous grass that grows 2-4' tall and is normally grown as an annual. This plant blooms in summer and blooms until frost. Typically, the reddish-purple selections are used for color accenting. This plant is utilized as a bedding plant, in bed backgrounds, in borders, and in fresh flower arrangements. This plant can become invasive through seed dispersal. This plant prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soils. This plant has no serious pest or disease problems.
Soil: Wide range of soil types
Quick ID Hints:
- Clumping grass with burgundy to reddish-purple leaves
- Inflorescence a bottlebrush raceme of spiklelets
- Spiklelet reddish-purple, plosemosely awned
- Highly aggressive, invasive
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Cupreum'
- 'Fireworks'
- 'Purpureum'
- 'Red Riding Hood'
- 'Rubrum'
- 'Rubrum Dwarf'
- 'Vertigo'
- 'Cupreum'
- 'Cupreum', 'Fireworks', 'Purpureum', 'Red Riding Hood', 'Rubrum', 'Rubrum Dwarf', 'Vertigo'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Cupreum'
- 'Fireworks'
- 'Purpureum'
- 'Red Riding Hood'
- 'Rubrum'
- 'Rubrum Dwarf'
- 'Vertigo'
- 'Cupreum'
- 'Cupreum', 'Fireworks', 'Purpureum', 'Red Riding Hood', 'Rubrum', 'Rubrum Dwarf', 'Vertigo'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Cenchrus
- Species:
- setaceus
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Norther & Eastern Africa
- Wildlife Value:
- Attracts birds
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Textural
- Wind Shimmer
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Mounding
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 9b, 9a, 10b, 10a, 11b, 11a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- > 6 inches
- Flower Description:
- Inflorescence if a terminal, elongated raceme of spiklets resembling a bottlebrush that is reddish-purple in color. Spiklets are 1-3 flowered, awned, and awns are plumose basally.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Sheath
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are rigid, linear, sheathing, scabrous, often burgundy to reddish-purple in color, and up to 1' long.
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-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Problems:
- Invasive Species
