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Discover More Information On Dwarf Fountain Grass
Are you looking to add a distinctive accent to your landscape? With its splashy foliage and graceful flowers, you will want the compact dwarf fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) for your inventory. Its arching leaves look incredible as they sway in the wind. When you need to choose something out of the ordinary, make sure to use the dwarf fountain grass for your outdoor spaces.
Plant Attributes
Throughout the United States, ornamental grasses are becoming more popular than ever. Many of these grasses have long-lasting beauty, and the dwarf fountain grass is no exception. If you want to add unique movement, texture, and form to your garden, you cannot go wrong with this variety. During the early spring, you are greeted with bright green foliage. Mid-summer welcomes the buff-colored seed heads that pop out of the foliage. In the sunlight, they will add some sparkle to your landscape. These flowers last until the winter. The foliage is russet-colored, and it remains throughout the winter as well.
Landscape Use
The narrow leaves provide a fountain-like appearance that looks fantastic in large containers, mass plantings, or mixed shrub borders. You might want to plant this compact grass in containers throughout your yard. They can even be added to established garden beds.
If you are looking to spruce up those transition spots in your yard, the dwarf fountain grass is an excellent placement piece. This ornamental grass will soften those harsh edges throughout your yard or near a patio. With its rounded form, it is an eye-catcher for your landscape.
For those mixed perennial gardens, the dwarf fountain grass is a perfect accent. You may want to add the grass along paths and walkways. In those steep hillsides with erosion issues, this compact plant adds some stability to the area.
The dwarf fountain grass provides plenty of texture to foundation plantings, open spaces, and borders. You should plant these plants in a zig-zagging pattern to fill in bare areas. After a couple of growing seasons, these spaces will burst with beautiful texture and color. The plants should be planted two feet on center from each other.
These ornamental grasses are the ideal plant for commercial spaces. If you want grass with minimal maintenance requirements, you need to choose the dwarf fountain grass. While the grass is tolerant of droughts, it can adapt to wet conditions. These varieties are the perfect element for a water or rain garden as you add them around a pond or stream bed.
Finally, the dwarf fountain grass is a perfect thriller for your containers. If you have a plain patio, you can add these grasses to a box that flanks both sides of your space. No matter the landscape, you need to add these grasses to your outdoor yard.
Planting & Care
This is a low-maintenance ornamental grass. They are tolerant of droughts and resistant to insects and disease. The dwarf fountain grass can also grow in a variety of soils. You can even use it in harsh environments, such as urban areas. However, it does best when planted in full sun and well-draining soils. If you grow it in partial shade, you will not see any flowering on the plant, but the colorful foliage will remain on this grass.
The dwarf fountain grass is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 11. As you can tell, this is one of the most adaptable ornamental grasses. If you live in the colder zones, you should plant it in areas with plenty of morning sun. For those hotter climates, the dwarf fountain grass should be protected from the late afternoon heat. Mulching should be done with two to three inches around the plant to keep it cool in the summer.
Additional Information
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Dwarf Fountain Grass
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This fine-textured ornamental grass is excellent for those small areas around your yard. You can enjoy the bright green foliage as it changes into a golden tan by the fall. The white plumes will last until the first hard freeze of the winter. If you want an excellent accent piece for a mass planting or need to add texture to a water garden, make sure to choose the dwarf fountain grass.
At Arbor Valley Nursery, we have a wide selection of products, including the dwarf fountain grass. You can select this spectacular piece for your landscape or garden inventory. If you want to learn more about this variety, fill out the contact form.
Plant Features
- Watering Needs: Water occasionally – more often in extreme heat or if planted.
- Botanical Pronunciation: pen-i-SEE-tum al-o-pe-kur-OH-deez
- Plant type: Ornamental Grass
- Deciduous/evergreen: Herbaceous
- Growth rate: Moderate
- Average landscape size: Moderate growing; reaches 2 to 3 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide.
- Special features: Dwarf Plant, Fall color, Bird Friendly
- Dramatic Foliage: Color, Easy Care
- Foliage color: Green
- Blooms: Late Summer through Fall
- Flower color: White
- Flower attributes: Fragrant, Showy Flowers
- Garden style: Asian/Zen, Cottage
- Design Ideas: The narrow leaves provide a fountain-like appearance that looks fantastic in large containers, mass plantings, or mixed shrub borders. You might want to plant this compact grass in containers throughout your yard. They can even be added to established garden beds.
- Companion Plants: Blanket Flower (Gaillardia); Salvia (Salvia); Tickseed (Coreopsis); Shasta Daisy (Chrysanthemum); Sedum (Sedum)
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