Plume Grass Cenchrus setaceus
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Pennisetum setaceum
- Phonetic Spelling
- SEN-crus seh-TAY-see-us
- Description
-
Fountain grass is a mounding, clumping herbaceous grass in the Poaceae family that grows 2-4' tall and is normally grown as an annual. This plant starts blooming in summer and those flowers last until frost attracting birds.
This plant prefers full sun to partial shade in a wide range of soil conditions. It grows well in arid environments being quite drought tolerant and is also resistant to browsing by deer. It propagates readily through self-seeding.
This plant is utilized as a bedding plant, in bed backgrounds, in borders, and in fresh flower arrangements. Typically, the reddish-purple cultivars are used for color accents in the landscape.
Quick ID Hints:
- Clumping grass with burgundy to reddish-purple leaves
- Inflorescence a bottlebrush raceme of spiklelets
- Spiklelet reddish-purple, plumosely awned
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Weedy and spreads readily by seeds. Considered invasive in some southern west coast states
- 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
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Northern and 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.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Mounding
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Fine
-
-
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 Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
-
-
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.
-
-
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.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
-
-
Landscape:
- Attracts:
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Problems:
- Weedy
