12/6/2023 0 Comments Purple fountain grass zone 5![]() Water the plant like any houseplant, that is, when the potting mix is dry to the touch. Normal room temperatures are quite acceptable, but it will also do fine in cooler rooms with night temperatures down to about 40?F (5?C). ![]() Remove the old leaves and flower stalks when you bring the plant indoors, cutting them back to about 2 or 3 inches (3–5 cm) high. If yours are planted in the garden, you’ll have to dig them up and put them in a pot. Photo: Proven WinnersĬontainer-grown purple fountain grasses are simple to bring indoors: just clean off the pot and carry them in. setaceus.) Easy to Overwinter ‘Red Riding Hood’ is a dwarf selection of purple fountain grass ( Cenchrus × cupreus). setaceum too is now a Cenchrus under the name C. As a result, purple fountain grass is now Cenchrus × cupreus. However, the name of the entire genus of fountain grasses, Pennisetum, has now been merged into Cenchrus, a name that has botanical priority over Pennisetum, since the first species of this grass ever named was listed as Cenchrus. The hybrid, being essentially sterile (few fertile seeds are produced and those that do germinate poorly or give weak plants that rarely survive), is not invasive and can be grown there legally. setaceum is a tropical grass that is banned in Europe (and some other areas) for its invasive tendencies in mild climates. Purple fountain grass is not known from the wild and is considered likely to be a hybrid of P. elegans crossed with P.setaceum. This is a vital distinction, since P. setaceum is a diploid while P. × advena is a hexaploid. setaceum in many aspects, notably in its drooping, sterile flowers rather than upright fertile ones and, most obviously, purple leaves, but also in its genes as well, as DNA studies showed. Originally offered as Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’, it differed from the species P. Purple fountain grass has undergone a number of name changes over the last few years. So, if you act quickly, before the real winter cold sets in, you ought to be able to bring it indoors while it is still in decent shape.Ī Nomenclatural Nightmare Purple fountain grass has changed names so often it would make your head spin! Photo: Proven Winners But it is not in fact an annual, but a tender perennial grass (hardiness zones 9 to 11) you can easily overwinter indoors.Īnd, as mentioned above, it’s probably not too late to save your plant, as it will tolerate quite a bit of frost: down to about 15?F (-10?C) is long as it doesn’t last long enough to damage the plant’s crown. ![]() However, nurseries offer purple fountain grass as an annual grass, so most gardeners obligingly leave it to freeze in the fall, assuming it’s doomed to die anyway. It’s a very popular summer garden and container plant. This beautiful grass has reddish-purple foliage and arching foxtail-shaped flower spikes that dance in the slightest breeze, turning from pink to silver as the summer advances. Even if you’ve already had a frost or two, it’s probably not too late to save your purple fountain grass ( Cenchrus × cupreus, formerly Pennisetum setaceus ‘Rubrum’) from the cold.
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