Prairie Winds® Desert Plains Fountain Grass

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

3-4 Feet

Mature Spread

3-4 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 9

This deer-resistant grass will provide gorgeous year-round interest in a sunny location in your garden. Your eyes will be drawn toward the fluffy bottlebrush plumes that begin as dusty purple and gradually became a pretty shade of tan in the fall. The green foliage of springtime also changes throughout the seasons beginning with the tips turning red and eventually the fronds change to autumn oranges and yellows. This grass can also be used as a vertical element in a large container to create a focal point in your garden.

You can successfully grow Pennisetum alopecuroides in zones 5 to 9. At maturity, it will attain a height of 40 to 48 inches and a width of 36 to 48 inches. This grass can be left up to add winter interest to your garden. Be sure to cut it back to a height of 3 to 5 inches before new growth appears in the spring. In late summer the flowering 5-inch blooms appear. They’ll add movement to your garden as they sway in the breeze.

Prairie Winds Desert Plains Fountain Grass Care

Prairie Winds Desert Plains Fountain Grass can handle both hot and dry as well as humid conditions. Once established, this plant will need little care besides spring pruning and occasional watering in dry conditions. This ornamental grass grows best in rich, well-drained soil. It does not like to grow in areas where water pools after a rainstorm. Plants can be divided a few years after they’re established in your landscape.

Prairie Winds Desert Plains Fountain Grass Spacing

Space plants 3 to 4 feet apart on center. Use multiple plants to create a 3-season screen for privacy or to hide unsightly outdoor utilities.