In the landscape
Border · Mass planting · Specimen · Coastal · Asian · Cutting · Drought tolerant
Data sources
Fountain Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides · Ornamental grass
Fountain Grass is a moderate-growing ornamental grass, hardy in USDA zones 6-9, that matures to about 2.5–5 ft × 2.5–5 ft. It does best in full sun and part shade with high water needs in well-drained, moist and occasionally-dry soil. Expect cream, silver and green blooms in winter and summer. It attracts songbirds, stands up well to deer and drought and salt.
- USDA zones
- 6-9
- Sun
- Full sun, Part shade
- Water
- High
- Mature size
- 2.5–5 ft × 2.5–5 ft
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maintenance
- Low
- Soil
- Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally-dry
- Bloom color
- Cream, Silver, Green, Pink, Purple, White
- Bloom season
- Winter, Summer
- Attracts
- Songbirds
- Tough against
- Deer, Drought, Salt
- Native to
- Eastern Asia to western Australia
Will it survive your winters?
We score Fountain Grass’s freeze-trouble range against the real coldest nights your area has recorded.
Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.
More plants for your zone: Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
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