Purple Fountain Grass
For a hardy splash of color in the garden, purple fountain grass is hard to beat. This ornamental grass is a short-lived perennial that has purple to reddish-burgundy foliage and colorful plumes.
It's known scientifically as Pennisetum setaceum. Some types of Pennisetum can be invasive, so use only cultivars that won't reseed. As of this writing, the UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas does not list purple fountain grass as a problem species.
The flower plumes of purple fountain grass dry well and can be used in floral arrangements, making it a unique choice for a cutting garden.
Purple fountain grass is virtually pest-free, grows from two to five feet tall, and thrives in full sun. Propagate by division during the dormant season.
If the full-sized purple fountain grass is too big for your landscape, there is a dwarf version called ‘Rubrum Dwarf’ which only gets to about two and one-half feet tall.
Use purple fountain grass en masse, as an accent, or in containers.