Plants
Fountain Grass
Pennisetum · Poaceae
Hardly any grass invites touch like fountain grass: from high summer it pushes bottlebrush-like, fluffily soft spikes above gracefully arching foliage. It is the epitome of the autumn border and a rewarding container candidate for terraces and entrances. We buy our plants in free-flowering nursery quality directly at the Veiling Rhein-Maas.
- Light
- Full sun and warmth — the basic requirement for rich flowering.
- Watering
- Moderate; regularly in the first year, then only during longer dry spells.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Pennisetum
The key garden species is Pennisetum alopecuroides, the Chinese fountain grass. Proven cultivars are the compact „Hameln“ for boxes and small containers, the dark-eyed „Moudry“ with almost black spikes, and „Little Bunny“ as a miniature for the front of the border.
There is also the red fountain grass Pennisetum setaceum „Rubrum“ with dark red foliage — a star in summer containers, but not winter-hardy and best treated as an annual here. For a permanent garden grass, choose the alopecuroides cultivars.
The most common reason fountain grass fails to flower is a spot that is too shady or too wet. The grass needs full sun and warm, free-draining soil; in heavy, cold ground the flowers stay away and the clump sulks.
Just as important: the timing of the cutback. The foliage is cut a hand-width above the ground in early spring, not in autumn. The dry tuft protects the heart of the grass from winter wet — and hoarfrost-covered spikes are among the most beautiful things a winter garden has to offer.
In floristry we like using the spikes in autumn bouquets with rudbeckia, asters and dahlias. An honest note from experience: fully ripened spikes shed in the vase. If you cut them, take young, freshly emerged flower heads — they hold up far better.
In the border the grass works best as a single specimen with air around it or in loose prairie-style groups. Next to coneflowers, sedums and tall asters, the warm rosy brown of the spikes shows its full strength in low autumn light.
Is Fountain Grass toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
Fountain grass is non-toxic to cats, dogs and children. The soft spikes are harmless even during play; swallowed blades can, as with any grass, cause mild gagging.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Choose a full-sun, warm position — in shade it will not flower.
- 02Provide free-draining soil; winter wet is the most common cause of loss.
- 03Water regularly in the planting year; established clumps are fairly drought-tolerant.
- 04Cut back a hand-width above the ground in early spring only, never in autumn.
- 05Start the season with compost or a little slow-release feed; the grass needs no more.
- 06Overwinter container plants frost-free and cool, or wrap the pot well and keep moderately moist.
Frequently asked
- Why is my fountain grass not flowering?
- Almost always sun or warmth is lacking. The grass needs a full-sun spot and warm, free-draining soil; young plants also often only flower properly in their second year. Too much nitrogen likewise promotes leaves instead of spikes.
- Is fountain grass winter-hardy?
- Pennisetum alopecuroides and its cultivars are reliably hardy in the border as long as the soil is not permanently wet. Red-leaved Pennisetum setaceum „Rubrum“, however, is frost-tender and is grown as an annual or overwintered bright and frost-free.
- When do you cut back fountain grass?
- In early spring, just before the new growth appears, about a hand-width above the ground. An autumn cut opens the clump to winter wet and is the classic care mistake that kills the grass.
- Can you cut the spikes for the vase or dried bouquets?
- Yes, ideally young, as soon as the spikes have just fully emerged. They then hold well in the vase and hardly shed. Fully ripened spikes fall apart when drying; for dried work you can additionally fix them with hairspray.