''Pennisetum alopecuroides'' (Pen-ih-SEE-tum al-oh-pek-yur-OY-deez), the Chinese pennisetum, Chinese fountaingrass, dwarf fountain grass, foxtail fountain grass, or swamp foxtail grass, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of perennial

grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to Asia and Australia. The culms are erect, and 60–100 cm long. The leaf-blades are erect or drooping; flat, or

conduplicate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

(folded lengthwise) or

involute In mathematics, an involute (also known as an evolvent) is a particular type of curve that is dependent on another shape or curve. An involute of a curve is the locus of a point on a piece of taut string as the string is either unwrapped from or ...

(spiral); and from 10–45 cm long by 3–6 mm wide. The Latin

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''alopecuroides'' means "like the genus ''

Alopecurus ''Alopecurus'', or foxtail grass, is a common and widespread genus of plants in the grass family. It is common across temperate and subtropical parts of Eurasia, northern Africa, and the Americas, as well as naturalized in Australia and on vari ...

'' (foxtail)".

Description

The plant is a warm season ornamental grass which typically grows in graceful, spreading clumps from tall and wide. It features narrow, medium to deep green leaves (to 1/2" wide) in summer, changing to golden yellow in fall, and fading to beige in late fall. The foliage usually remains attractive throughout the winter. Showy, silvery to pinkish-white, bristly, bottle brush-like flower spikes arch outward from the clump in late summer like water spraying from a fountain (hence the common name "fountain grass"). The flower spikes turn brownish as the seeds form, and usually persist until late fall or early winter before shattering. Many cultivars are available in horticulture, ranging in height from and featuring a variety of different flower colors (purples, pinks or whites) and autumn foliage.

Growing conditions

The plant generally needs a sheltered position in full sun to light shade. It prefers moist, well-drained soil. It will grow in any mild or coastal area where the temperature does not fall below . The best time of the year for planting is between late Summer and Winter.

Cultivars

The following

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

s have received gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

: *'Cassian's Choice' (brown flowerheads flushed pink) *'Hameln' (purplish flower heads) *'Red Head' (dark red flower heads)

Synonyms

* ''Alopecurus hordeiformis'' L. * ''Panicum alopecuroides'' L. (basionym) * ''Pennisetum compressum'' R. Br. * ''Pennisetum hordeiforme'' (Thunb.) Spreng. * ''Pennisetum japonicum'' Trin. ex Spreng.

References

GrassBase entry
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1433037 alopecuroides Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus