Plant Type

Annual, Grass

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Purple

 

Flower Season

Summer, Fall

 

Leaf Color

Bronze, Purple, Red

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Fast

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Japanese, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish, Tropical

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers, Specimen, Unusual Foliage

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Entry, Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Patio, Raised Planter, Walkways

 

Special Uses

Container, Cut Flowers, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

This is one annual that is very worth the effort of re-planting each spring. Purple fountain grass is a strikingly purply-red grass that grows in hot, miserable sites, even against buildings, or in pots surrounded by concrete. Its form is generally upward and arching, with even the plumes softly bending. The plumes emerge early summer and continue through the summer months and are tinged purple to buff. Color holds until a hard frost. Grows about 2 to 4 feet tall and wide.

Best color occurs in full sun, though it will tolerate a bit of shade, the blades will "green out" if it doesn't get enough light. Plant in any soil, as long as it is well drained. Not xeric, or particularly drought tolerant, but it certainly uses less water than annuals that deliver less show. Once it's planted, leave it be except to water; don't shape it or shear it, it's best left alone. The plumes are lovely in vases, but snip them off as close to the crown of the plant as you can get.