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Pennisetum villosum (Feathertop Grass)

Feather Grass, Feathertop

AGM Award
Pennisetum Villosum information, Feathertop Grass information, Foxtail Grass information
Pennisetum Villosum information, Feathertop Grass information, Foxtail Grass information
Pennisetum Villosum information, Feathertop Grass information, Foxtail Grass information

Extremely drought tolerant, Feathertop Grass (Pennisetum villosum) is among the most beautiful and graceful ornamental grasses with its large, fluffy, bright white flower plumes cascading down the light green foliage that rustles in the wind. While a perennial grass, it is tender and often grown as an annual.

  • Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society (2002)
  • This plant typically grows in 2 feet tall (60 cm) sprawling tussocks of narrow green foliage, topped with soft, furry, white bottlebrush-like flowers on arching stems from mid-summer until fall.
  • Welcomed in any garden style, it is versatile and can be used as a specimen plant, in groups, or en masse. It is ideal in borders where it provides texture, color, and contrast and can be planted in containers. Since it can grow in almost pure sand, planting it near the beach would be a possibility.
  • Prized by florists as a cut flower!
  • Performs best in full sun in average, well-drained soils.
  • Self-seeder, it will multiply if you do not cut off the flowers before the seeds ripen in the fall. Cut back old foliage to the ground in late winter.

Requirements

Hardiness 8 - 10
Heat Zones 1 - 11
Plant Type Ornamental Grasses
Plant Family Poaceae
Genus Pennisetum
Common names Fountain Grass, Feathertop, Feather Grass
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Mid, Late)
Fall
Height 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spread 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spacing 18" - 24"
(50cm - 60cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Drought, Salt
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles Modern Garden, Prairie and Meadow, Informal and Cottage, Coastal Garden, City and Courtyard
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Pennisetum glaucum ‘Purple Majesty’ (Ornamental Millet)
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ (Fountain Grass)
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Red Head’ (Fountain Grass)
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Burgundy Bunny’ (Fountain Grass)
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Little Bunny’ (Fountain Grass)
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Desert Plains’ (Fountain Grass)

Recommended Companion Plants

Hordeum jubatum (Foxtail Barley)
Dahlia ‘Mrs Eileen’
Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ (Giant Hyssop)
Agastache ‘Black Adder’ (Giant Hyssop)
Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass)
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’ (Black-Eyed Susan)
Allium sphaerocephalon (Drumstick Allium)
Ageratum houstonianum (Floss Flower)
Dahlia ‘David Howard’
Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Helenium (Sneezeweed)
Zinnia elegans (Zinnia)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

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Dahlias and Companion Plants – Pink & Blue Theme
A Glowing Prairie Planting Idea for Your Summer
A Desirable Summer Border Idea with Grasses, Dahlias and Agastache
A Desirable Summer Border Idea with Grasses, Dahlias and Amaranth
A Desirable Summer Border Idea with Verbena, Amaranth and Pennisetum
Native Plant Alternatives to Pennisetum setaceum (Fountain Grass)
Native Plant Alternatives to Pennisetum alopecuroides (Fountain Grass)
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 8 - 10
Heat Zones 1 - 11
Plant Type Ornamental Grasses
Plant Family Poaceae
Genus Pennisetum
Common names Fountain Grass, Feathertop, Feather Grass
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Mid, Late)
Fall
Height 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spread 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spacing 18" - 24"
(50cm - 60cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Drought, Salt
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles Modern Garden, Prairie and Meadow, Informal and Cottage, Coastal Garden, City and Courtyard
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Pennisetum (Fountain Grass)
Not sure which Pennisetum (Fountain Grass) to pick?
Compare Now

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