Pennisetum setaceum 'Cupreum'     
Purple fountain grass   
Poaceae Family     

flower spike

Form: clump forming, mounding, ornamental grass
Seasonality: semi-evergreen; may lose color in cold weather
Size: 2-4ft, with equal spread
Leaves: slender blade; narrow, flat and curving; to 2ft long; bright green or purplish, reddish in cooler weather
Flowers: attractive plume on spike held about 1ft above leaf blades; off-white or pinkish; bloom in summer and throughout fall
Fruit: none, cultivar 'Cupreum' is sterile (does not set seeds)
Stems/Trunks: hollow stems
Range/Origin: Africa
Hardiness: leaves brown at 32°F, may die off completely below mid-twenties

LANDSCAPE VALUE:

• accent plant
• softens architecture
• adds texture
• medians and borders

Pennisetum setaceum

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: full sun for rich color
• Water: regular, does well on 1 deep irrigation per week
• Soil: adaptable, uniform, amendments not necessary but helpful
• Propagation: clump divisions, easy, take divisions at any time
• Maintenance: moderate; old plants can look unkempt; recommend removing dead growth by just raking through the clump

NOTES:

aka Fountain grass

varieties other than the sterile 'Cupreum' are invasive, naturalizing in some regions, and considered a threat to native grasses

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This page was first created September 10, 2001 and last modified May 16, 2004.

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Web page design and photographs by Toni Moore, Master Gardener
email to: tmoore1@flash.net

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