Chinese pennisetum is an ornamental grass that grows in clumps and has escaped gardens in some parts of the United States. Its bottlebrush plumes turn reddish purple and then brown as the seeds mature. It is also called Chinese fountain grass.
Appearance
Appearance
Arching narrow leaves form a 2–4 ft (0.6–1.2 m) clump, with bristly bottlebrush plumes held above the foliage.
Growth form
It is a clump-forming that returns for multiple years where winters are mild enough.
Flowering time
In U.S. gardens, the plumes generally appear from midsummer into fall and can remain attractive into winter.
Fruit
The plumes turn brown as seed matures and may persist into late fall or early winter.
Green foxtail is an annual with a slimmer 1–4 in (2.5–10 cm) seedhead that is usually green. Chinese pennisetum makes a much larger perennial clump with thicker, arching plumes.
Why they get mixed up · Both have narrow leaves and a fuzzy cylindrical seedhead.
African fountain grass usually has narrower leaves and softer, drooping plumes. Chinese pennisetum has broader leaves and stiffer, more upright plumes.
Why they get mixed up · Both are sold as fountain grasses and have fuzzy plumes.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
gardens and borders
open grasslands
roadsides and disturbed ground
Range
It is native to eastern Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Australia. In the United States it has been introduced in states including Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Preferred conditions
It flowers best in full sun and accepts dry to moist, well-drained soil. Established plants tolerate some drought.
Life cycle
Seed dispersal
Seeds may move on wind or attach to clothing and animal fur.
Growing it
Care
It is commonly sold for borders, rain gardens, and mass plantings. are the safer choice where self-seeding is a concern.
Propagation
Plants can be raised from seed or divided from established clumps, although named cultivars may not come true from seed.
Name and classification
About the name
This grass was formerly called Pennisetum alopecuroides.
Varieties and forms
Garden selections include compact and taller forms, along with sterile cultivars that make little or no viable seed.