Purple Fountain Grass
Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'
Grasses & Groundcovers Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
One of the most popular ornamental grasses, prized for its bold burgundy-red foliage and graceful, arching habit. The dark, nearly black-purple leaves provide stunning contrast in the garden, and the coppery-pink, bottlebrush-like flower plumes that appear in summer add even more drama. The sterile cultivar won’t self-seed invasively. A must-have for borders, containers, and mass plantings where it creates a striking color accent.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun (6+ hrs)
💧
Water
Every 1-2 weeks
💨
Humidity
Moderate (40-60%)
🌡️
Temperature
15-32°C
🪴
Soil
Well-draining, moderately fertile, sandy or loamy soil; drought-tolerant once established
🧪
Fertilizer
Light application of balanced fertilizer in early spring; avoid heavy nitrogen that reduces color intensity
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
पर्पल फाउंटेन ग्रास
BN
Bengali
পার্পল ফাউন্টেন গ্রাস
MR
Marathi
पर्पल फाउंटेन ग्रास
TE
Telugu
పర్పల్ ఫౌంటెన్ గ్రాస్
TA
Tamil
பர்பிள் ஃபவுண்டன் கிராஸ்
GU
Gujarati
પર્પલ ફાઉન્ટેન ગ્રાસ
UR
Urdu
پرپل فاؤنٹین گرس
KN
Kannada
ಪರ್ಪಲ್ ಫೌಂಟೆನ್ ಗ್ರಾಸ್
OR
Odia
ପର୍ପଲ ଫାଉଣ୍ଟେନ ଗ୍ରାସ
ML
Malayalam
പർപ്പിൾ ഫൗണ്ടൻ ഗ്രാസ്
PA
Punjabi
ਪਰਪਲ ਫਾਊਂਟੇਨ ਗ੍ਰਾਸ
AS
Assamese
পার্পল ফাউন্টেন গ্রাস
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Africa and Middle East; 'Rubrum' is a sterile ornamental cultivar of unknown origin, widely cultivated worldwide
- 📏 Max height
- 75-120 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 60-90 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer - Fall
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Purple, Pink
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Purple, Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic to humans and pets
- 🌱 Propagation
- Division of clumps in spring; sterile cultivar — does not produce viable seed; propagated vegetatively only
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic to humans and pets
Common issues
- Root rot from overwatering
- Leaf spot
- Aphids on flower plumes
- Frost damage
💡 Care tips
- Graceful arching burgundy plumes cascade like a fountain
- Ornamental grass that adds dramatic movement to the garden
- Drought-tolerant once established in the landscape
- Cut back to 4 inches in late winter before new growth emerges
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 11 days, fertilizing every 30 days.
