Purple Fountain Grass Live Plant – Pennisetum Setaceum Starter – 5-9 Inch Ornamental Grass

Overview

Introduce stunning visual appeal to your garden with the exquisite purple fountain grass live plant. This popular ornamental grass, scientifically known as Pennisetum x advena ‘Rubrum’ or Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’, is cherished for its striking burgundy foliage and soft, feathery purplish-pink flower spikes that emerge from summer until frost. A truly versatile addition, this fast growing ornamental grass quickly establishes itself, creating a dynamic focal point or an elegant backdrop in various garden settings. It’s an excellent choice for those seeking a plant that offers both vibrant color and graceful movement throughout the growing season. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, the beauty and ease of care of this ornamental plant make it a perennial favorite.

Key Benefits

The purple fountain grass live plant offers numerous advantages for both aesthetic enhancement and practical gardening. Its unique characteristics make it a standout choice for various landscape designs and gardening needs.

• Dramatic Visual Appeal: Features elegant, arching burgundy leaves and plumes of purplish-pink flowers that provide continuous color and texture from summer through fall, creating a captivating display in any garden.
• Fast Growth and Establishment: This fast growing ornamental grass quickly fills in spaces, providing immediate impact and helping to define garden beds, borders, or containers with its vigorous growth habit.
• Low Maintenance: Requires minimal care once established, making it an ideal choice for busy gardeners. It’s relatively pest and disease-free, simplifying your gardening routine.
• Drought Tolerance: Once established, purple fountain grass live plant is a drought tolerant grass, requiring less frequent watering compared to many other garden plants, conserving water and making it suitable for xeriscaping.
• Versatile Landscaping Use: Perfect for mass plantings, as a specimen plant, in mixed borders, or as a filler in perennial beds. Its garnet color contrasts beautifully with various other plant hues, enhancing garden aesthetics.
• Container Gardening Excellence: Grows exceptionally well in decorative urns and large pots, bringing its unique charm to patios, decks, and entryways, providing a mobile splash of color.
• Winter Interest (Perennial in Warm Zones): In warmer climates (USDA Zone 9+), it behaves as a perennial, offering structural interest even in winter. In colder zones, it thrives as a vibrant annual.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your purple fountain grass live plant is relatively straightforward, ensuring a vibrant and healthy addition to your garden. This ornamental grass thrives with adequate sunlight and well-draining soil, making it a robust choice for many landscapes. For optimal growth, ensure it receives full sunlight, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sun per day. While it can tolerate some light shade, its rich burgundy color and prolific blooming are best achieved in brighter conditions. This preference for sun also contributes to its designation as an excellent ornamental grass for garden placements where light is abundant.

When it comes to watering, while pennisetum setaceum rubrum is considered a drought tolerant grass once established, consistent watering is crucial during its initial establishment period. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Once mature, reduce watering, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. Its adaptability to various soil conditions is a bonus, but it performs best in well-draining soil. Avoid heavy, water-retentive clays. In areas where it is grown as a perennial, cut back the foliage in early spring to encourage new growth. Fertilization is generally not heavily required; a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in spring can provide an extra boost.

This species is cold weather hardy down to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA Zone 9+), allowing it to grow as a perennial in those regions. In colder climates, it’s typically grown as an annual or brought indoors for winter. Understanding these simple care tips will ensure your purple fountain grass live plant flourishes and becomes a highlight in your garden.

Size & Details

You will receive one purple fountain grass live plant, a starter plant approximately 5-9 inches tall. These plants are well-rooted and ready for transplanting into your garden or preferred container. This particular variety, pennisetum setaceum rubrum, is known for its rapid growth, quickly reaching mature dimensions of 2-4 feet in height and spread within a single growing season when conditions are favorable. It is shipped without a pot to ensure efficient and safe delivery, allowing you to plant it directly upon arrival. Expect the graceful purplish flower spikes to emerge from early summer and continue to provide visual interest until the first frost, making it a long-lasting feature in your landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this purple fountain grass live plant get? A: This ornamental grass typically grows to a mature size of 2-4 feet tall and wide within a single growing season. Its rapid growth makes it an excellent choice for quickly filling garden spaces.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Purple fountain grass live plant is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in full sun. In colder climates (below USDA Zone 9), it is often grown as an annual or can be overwintered indoors in a bright, cool spot.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For the best color and growth, this ornamental grass for garden prefers full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. It can tolerate some light shade but may not display as vibrant foliage.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, purple fountain grass is considered an easy-to-care-for plant. It is relatively low maintenance, especially once established, and is known for its resilience and adaptability.
• Q: What condition will the starter plant arrive in? A: You will receive a well-rooted starter plant, approximately 5-9 inches tall. It will be shipped without a pot to ensure safe transit and is ready for immediate planting upon arrival.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: This fast growing ornamental grass typically begins to produce its characteristic purplish flower spikes in early summer and continues blooming profusely until the first hard frost.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Purple fountain grass is perennial in USDA Zones 9 and warmer, where temperatures generally stay above 20 degrees Fahrenheit. In colder zones, it is usually grown as a warm-season annual and will not survive winter outdoors.
• Q: Is this a drought tolerant grass? A: Yes, once established, purple fountain grass live plant is quite drought-tolerant. However, it requires consistent watering during its initial establishment phase to develop a strong root system.
• Q: Can I grow pennisetum setaceum rubrum in containers? A: Absolutely! It performs exceptionally well in containers and decorative urns, where its elegant form and rich color can be prominently displayed on patios, decks, or balconies.
• Q: What kind of soil is best for purple fountain grass? A: This plant is not overly picky about soil but thrives in well-draining soil. It can tolerate a range of soil types but avoids heavy, waterlogged conditions for optimal health.