Also great for containers. Some care instructions advise to cut grasses down to a few inches above ground in fall or spring and to divide clumps when the grass's growth begins to weaken. Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. Our mission is to connect independent plant breeders with the garden market, and in turn, to bring better plants to gardeners in Australia and across the globe. Although it can be planted nearly anytime, spring is the most suitable time for planting. Create organic nutrient rich soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter for better root growth, stronger plants and more flowers and fruit. Fountain grass trimming is helpful and visually appealing to remove the dying grass at the end of the season or just as the new season begins. Don’t fertilize it for now, though: you don’t want to encourage rapid growth while the sun is so weak: that will only give floppy, etiolated leaves. Tolerates dry periods once established. How to Keep Purple Fountain Grass Alive Through the Winter. This clump-forming grass grows rapidly to reach 3 – 5 feet tall and 2 – 4 feet wide in a single season. All require the same winter treatment as purple fountain grass. When there is no longer any danger of frost, gradually acclimate the divisions to outdoor conditions and pretty soon you’ll have striking purplish red grasses with swaying flower spikes to brighten your garden all summer! That’s good news for Southern gardeners (zones 8 and above), as the species P. setaceum is highly invasive and growing it is illegal in many areas. Evergreen in mild winter areas. This cold-hardy grass typically grows in 2-3 foot tall (60-90 cm) rounded mounds of dark green foliage turning golden … However, because of its capacity for invasiveness, caution should be taken when deciding where and how to plant this grass. Choose a place in the garden that gets full sun to half shade. Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum') is an ornamental grass used in the landscape or in containers. Our plants are extensively field tested ensuring superior garden and container performance. Finally, water your newly-potted plant to settle the soil. This dramatic grass makes an impressive pot specimen or feature in the garden planted amongst other grasses, succulents and perennials. This sterile cultivar will never become a weed. Purple fountain grass has given rise to a few cultivars with variegated foliage, like P. advena x ‘Fireworks’ (red, pink and white), P. advena x ‘Cherry Sparkler’ (pink, white and green) and P. x advena ‘Skyrocket’ (green and white). Where temperatures get colder than 15 degrees F, the plants should be treated as annuals. Purple fountain grass is an ornamental grass known for its cascading leaves and dramatic color. Its foxtail plumes and striking burgundy foliage show up well when surrounded by contrasting plants. You can put purple fountain grass in containers and bring them indoors where it’s warm. Purple fountain grass cultivars rarely set the seeds that allow the plant to spread willy-nilly all over the landscape. It’s normally multiplied from seed that you then resow the following spring. Vibrant, colourful flowers with shiny green leaves, Agapanthus can really brighten up your garden. Use the potted plant for the division. ; Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. Purple Fountain Grass is a beautiful ornamental grass with striking burgundy foliage throughout the year. Native to tropical regions of Africa, the Middle East and southwest Asia, purple fountain grass prefers to grow in warm, subtropical and tropical regions of the U.S. U.S.D.A. There is also a group of pennisetums with purple foliage but that share a different background. A warm-season bunchgrass (evergreen in warm winters) much admired for its purple foliage and plume-like ornamental seedheads. Position in hole and backfill with soil, gently firming down. This beautiful grass, with reddish-purple foliage and foxtail-shaped flower spikes that dance in the slightest breeze, is a very popular summer garden and container plant. They are popular for their dense clumps of fairly broad, deep purple leaves. It can be used alone as a specimen plant or in a border alongside other perennials. The relatively wide and shallow roots of the grass are no match for freezing temperatures. Plant your purple fountain grass with some other plants that have coarser texture to make your garden looks more adorable with striking contrast. Periodic grooming can turn your Pennisetum into a perennial. Note that though the foliage will grow back fairly quickly after the plant’s severe pruning, its new leaves will probably entirely green or only slightly reddish: that’s because the plant’s purple coloration only truly comes out when the plant is exposed to intense sunlight, as in outdoors. The best way to get more purple fountain grass is to buy a plant from a nursery or online source or divide an existing plant in your garden (or your neighbor’s garden… shhhhh!). Place the plant near a sunny window in a heated room. Container-grown purple fountain grasses are simple to bring indoors: just clean off the pot and carry them in. Soil & Fertilizing. Fountain grass (Pennisetum) is a mound-forming ornamental grass and a garden favorite, as the care of fountain grass is easy. Napiter grass hybrids don’t bloom in short season climates (actually, they rarely flower even in the tropics). Place the potted plant near a sunny window when kept indoors. Purple fountain grass care is important to help making your plants become specimen plants. Note the leaves indoors are green, not purple. Suited to moist soils as the name suggests. In March, divide the clump and repot the divisions. Like purple fountain grasses, since these varieties are not true annuals, they can be kept indoors over the winter. The leaves are purple or burgundy red. Prepare the planting area well by digging in. This is just to make the chore of cutting back fountain grass a little easier because you won’t have to clean up all the fallen stems. It is grown as an annual in temperate zones or in a container and brought indoors during the winter. Because winter temperatures in these zones do not reach lower than 20 degrees F, purple fountain grass will survive the winter and will grow as a perennial. Purple fountain grassnamed for the arcing spikes of purplish flowers that gracefully spray out of its mass of long, slender, burgundy-colored leavesis not a very cold-hardy plant, but it is well worth growing in the northeven if you can enjoy it for only two seasons out of the year. Purple fountain grass – Pennisetum setaceum “Rubrum” is an ornamental landscape grass known for its burgundy or purple leaf blades and soft, fuzzy like flowers. The grasses grow about three feet high and up to four feet wide, so leave space between the grasses and other plants for them to reach their full size without crowding the rest of your blooms. It acts as a perennial in warmer climates and is also grown as an annual by seed in cooler climates. It has long, purple coloured, foxtail like flowers pretty much most of the year, (except in the dead of winter). Plant resprouting after a harsh pruning. You can propagate the purple fountain grass shrub by dividing them during spring. A popular drought tolerant grass that forms a tidy, dense clump of purplish maroon blades topped with rose-red plumes. Choose a pot that is at least twice the size of the selected plant. Ajuga has a wide variety of foliage colors usually in the rich deep burgundy realm. Native to Asia and Australia, Pennisetum alopecuroides (Fountain Grass) is among the most beautiful and graceful ornamental grasses with its cascading foliage that rustles in the wind. Just like the maiden grass, this purple fountain grass will be a great option in autumn flower gardens. Compact elegant native grass with creamy foxtail flowerspikes. planting zones 8 through 10 can treat purple fountain grass as a … Derived from crosses with Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum), they are grown as perennial grasses in zones 9 to 12 and as annual grasses in temperate areas. If yours are planted in the garden, you’ll have to dig them up and put them in a pot. This will provide fresh new growth for the Spring ahead. Overall, Pennisetum setaceum is a viable option for urban and residential landscaping. Since it’s sterile, you won’t get any useful seeds. There are many plants that provide some great foliage colour, but not many are as easy to care for as the Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum advena ‘Rubrum’). A high quality all purpose organic-based potting mix suitable for most indoor and outdoor potted plants. Plant in a well … Position in the garden that receives full sun to half shade. Place your Pennisetum x advena ‘Rubrum’ in a sunny spot. Do note that you can’t grow purple fountain grass from seed: it’s a sterile hybrid, P. x advena ‘Rubrum’, resulting from a cross between African fountain grass (P. setaceum) and P. macrostachya ‘Burgundy Giant’. In mild climates, moderate, frost-free temperatures allow fountain grass to grow throughout the year. Form a raised or doughnut shaped ring of soil around the outer edge of the plant's root zone. Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. How to grow yellow Allamanda! All require the same winter treatment as purple fountain grass. This will give you more plants to put outside for the summer! Water young plants … Planting in containers or in sites that have natural barriers such as curbs also keeps fountain grass under control. They are the truest blue annuals you can find for your garden. How to grow purple fountain grass in a garden. It is most problematic in dry, arid climates in the southern United States, Australia, Europe, and parts of Africa (Kaufman, 2012). Once the threat of freezing weather and frost has passed in spring, you can set the purple fountain grass back outdoors. Prune fountain grass … Yates Thrive All Purpose Liquid Plant Food. Provide consistent water throughout the growing season. Clump-forming grasses grow in mounds or clumps, making them ideal for many areas without becoming invasive. Plants in cold zones should be dug up. From there, it requires very little water to continue to grow. Learn more about dividing perennials here. Oriental fountain grass (P. orientale) is just a lovely and about as hardy, with pinkish foxtail spikes. Like most ornamental grasses, purple fountain grass does best when you cut it back drastically to remove old leaves. Other than regular watering if your area does not receive consistent rainfall, Purple Grass requires very little additional maintenance. Sterile, will not self-seed. However, nurseries offer it as an annual, so most gardeners simply leave it to freeze in the fall, assuming it’s doomed to die anyway. Since it is sterile, however, purple fountain grass can be grown in tropical to subtropical climates without fear that it will escape and become a menace. Beautiful as a landscape specimen or planted in groups. All ornamental grasses aren’t as exciting as the Fireworks purple fountain grass, which was recently selected as an LSU AgCenter Louisiana Super Plant. Water in well. This plant can be easily propagated through division in autumn by carefully removing it from the ground or the pot and dividing into separate clumps with a spade. Hardy fountain grasses don’t need to be brought indoors over the winter. Plants Management Australia (PMA) is the home of quality new plants for Australian gardens and landscapes. They are a tough and hardy grass that will add a … To keep the plant looking at its best, cut the plant back each winter so that it is at least 5cm above ground level. Pennisetum advena rubrum dwarf - dwarf purple fountain grass DESCRIPTION: Eelegant, dwarf ornamental grass with burgundy-purple foliage and cream-rose coloured plumes. USE IN: Perfect for rockeries and borders. Normal room temperatures are fine as are cooler rooms with night temperatures down to about 40˚F (5˚C). Plant this grass where you can enjoy the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze. So put the fertilizer away and let slow and steady be your motto, at least until the longer days of spring. This group includes such cultivars as ‘Prince’, ‘Princess Grace’, and First Knight™. Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides setaceum rubrum) is a member of the family Poaceae, which includes grass. It will die back with any frost; plan on cutting it back in winter to renew growth. Watering: When the top of the soil feels dry down to about 2 or 3 inches, water your Purple Fountain. ‘Karley Rose’ is the best known cultivar. Water the plant like any houseplant, when the potting mix is dry to the touch. Purple fountain grass is also gorgeous by itself and can be placed behind other plant containers to add height. Purple fountain grass also thrives in containers, making it a colorful choice for potted accents on your patio or anchors in your poolside arrangements. Unlike the species, this cultivar does not reseed. This herbaceous perennial grass is heat tolerant and grows well in poor soil. Even if you’ve already had a frost or two (I certainly have! Ageratum flowers are tough plants that can even handle a bit of shade. Once the grass turns brown in the fall you can cut it back to the ground whenever you would like. How to Grow and Care for Purple Fountain Grass in Containers. In almost all areas it will be an annual grass. Keep the plant moist, not soggy, watering it about once a month. Purple fountain grass is an ornamental grass that is drought tolerant. Just treat them the same way you would purple fountain grass. The cascading leaves on this plant have a fountain-like appearance. Vertigo is a warm-season grass. A tropical evergreen shrub features large golden-yellow flowers. How to Grow. An herbaceous perennial grass in mild winter regions; provides quick annual color in any climate. See more ideas about fountain grass, container gardening, garden containers. Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser, © 2020 Yates, a division of DuluxGroup (Australia) Pty Ltd, Choose a place in the garden that gets full sun to half shade. This grass, which can reach 36 inches, adds height to the plant container setup. Fill the pot with a quality potting mix, such as. Purple fountain grass has given rise to a few cultivars with variegated foliage, like P. advena x ‘Fireworks’ (red, pink and white), P. advena x ‘Cherry Sparkler’ (pink, white and green) and P. x advena ‘Skyrocket’ (green and white). But it is not in fact an annual, but a tender perennial grass (zone 8 or 9) you can easily overwinter indoors. Jun 2, 2016 - Explore Mary Bohnsack's board "Purple Fountain Grass" on Pinterest. Position in hole and backfill with potting mix, gently firming down. Developed by a program at the University of Georgia, Princess Caroline Fountain Grass is an easy to grow, moderate to fast-growing perennial grass in USDA Zones 8a through 10b that features intense purple-maroon foliage summer to frost on large and impressive mounding plants with arching foliage. wider than the farthest reach of the foliage. On the contrary, another ornamental pennisetum, pear millet (P. glaucum), which has given several cultivars with colorful leaves, like ‘Purple Majesty’, ‘Purple Baron’, ‘Jade Princess’ and ‘Purple Jester’, usually is grown an annual, even in the tropics. Prepare the planting area well by digging in Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. Finally, a hardy purple fountain grass! Intro: This pretty purple grass looks great in the back or middle of a combination container planting. Requiring very little care and providing almost nonstop drama in the garden. 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