A 3 foot tall Pennisetum with cream white flowers.
Pronunciation
(penn-i-SEE-tum)
Plant Type
All Plants, Grass Ornamental
Hardiness Zone
5
Sunlight
full, light shade
Moisture
average, moderately draught tolerant
Soil & Site
average
Flowers
fox tail like flowers, creamy white during the growing season, changes to tan in the fall
Leaves
deep green changing to beige and tan in the fall
Dimensions
up to 3 feet, up right arching clump
Maintenance
there maybe reseeding, cut back to the ground in the spring being careful not to cut the new shoots
Propagation
division in the spring
Misc Facts
From Latin penna for feather and seta for bristle referring to the shape of the inflorescence. Species plants native to Japan and western Asia found growing in sunny, open low lands. Many self seed and are becoming weeds.
Author's Notes
The labels will many times list this grass as a "dwarf ornamental grass". It reaches 3 by 3 feet which isn't very dwarf! Dwarf is a relative term.
Notes & Reference
#92-The Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grass (Greenlee), #103-The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses (Rick Darke)