Purple Fountain Grass

Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum') is the fastest way to put colour and movement into a new garden bed. Burgundy foliage arches into a fountain about 1.2m tall and 1m wide, topped through the warm months with soft pink and purple plumes that sway in any breeze. Just as importantly, this is a sterile selection: it gives the ornamental grass look without seeding itself around the garden.

Why you'll love it

• Colour from the foliage, not just the flowers. The deep burgundy leaves hold their tone all season, so the plant contributes even between plume flushes.
• Sterile and well behaved. Unlike some ornamental grasses, this clone does not set viable seed, so it stays where you plant it.
• Fast to a finished look. Genuinely fast growing, tube stock builds into a full fountain within its first warm season.
• Thrives on tough sites. Drought, heat and coastal salt spray all suit it once established, which makes it a mainstay of low water gardens.
• One cut a year. Maintenance is a single late winter cut back. That is the entire program.

Where it works best

Feature planting. A single clump beside a letterbox, gate or pool corner reads as a designer touch, especially backlit by low sun.

Mass planting. Plant 60cm apart for a flowing sweep of burgundy that moves together in the wind. Offset rows fill fastest and read most naturally.

Borders and edging. A row along a fence or driveway softens hard landscaping, with the plumes arching out over the edge from midsummer.

Pots and containers. One plant fills a 400mm pot with fountain and plume, giving balconies the same movement as a full bed.

Growing Purple Fountain Grass in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun brings out the deepest burgundy and the most plumes. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid climates. It tolerates light frost only: in districts with cold winters the foliage burns back after frost, then reshoots from the base in spring, while in frost free gardens it holds foliage year round.

Soil. Any free draining soil, from sand to improved clay. It is not fussy about fertility.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, after which established clumps are drought tolerant and largely self sufficient. A little slow release fertiliser in spring supports the flush of new growth.

Pruning. Cut the whole clump back to about 20cm in late winter, before new growth starts. This removes the tired foliage and makes room for a clean, fully coloured fountain.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Purple Fountain Grass as tube stock, in 140mm pots in packs of 10 and in 200mm pots in packs of 6. Tubes look modest on arrival but move quickly, reaching a proper fountain in their first warm season. The packs suit mass planting. If your plants arrive in winter looking bleached or cut back, that is the natural seasonal state, not damage.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Designing with ornamental grasses
• Browse all grasses and strappy leaf plants
• More drought tolerant plants
• Compare the green leafed native Fountain Grass

Common questions

Will it seed all over my garden?

No. 'Rubrum' is a sterile clone that does not produce viable seed, which is why it is the fountain grass we recommend. It spreads only as a slowly widening clump.

What happens to it in winter?

In frost free gardens it stays coloured year round. Where winters bring frost the foliage browns off, and the clump reshoots from the base in spring. Genuinely cold climates are better served by other grasses.

When and how do I cut it back?

Once a year in late winter, shear the entire clump to about 20cm. Wear gloves, grab the foliage in a ponytail and cut straight across. Spring regrowth arrives fully coloured.

How far apart for a massed effect?

Plant 60cm apart. The fountains touch within the first season and merge into a continuous flowing band by the second.