How to Grow and Care for Fountain Grass

Easy to care for and teeming with design opportunity, fountain grass, also known as Pennisetum alopecuroides, is a hardy, beautiful plant for both beginner gardeners and seasoned green thumbs looking to liven up their yards. Evergreen in mild climates and low-maintenance in colder zones, cultivars of this pretty grass add waves and texture to landscaping when they're in season and provide winter interest with dried foliage when temperatures drop. Incorporate fountain grass as decorative filler or privacy plantings with these expert tips.

Fountain Grass vs. Foxtail Grass

Some types of fountain grass may be referred to casually as foxtail grass—since their bushy flowerheads can mimic the animal's tail—but these are not the same plant as the "nuisance grasses that pet owners should avoid," says Mercer. "Foxtail grass also refers to weedy members of Alopecurus and Setaria that can be harmful to pets," says Jessica Mercer of Plant Addicts. "The spiky seed heads can burrow in fur and become lodged there, causing skin infections." 

Types of Fountain Grass

Fountain grass is recognizable for its long, thin leaves and fluffy flowers. "It features graceful, arching, narrow foliage and produces showy, bottlebrush-shaped flowerheads in late summer," says Justine Kandra, horticulturist at the Kemper Center for Home Gardening at the Missouri Botanical Garden. "There are around 15 named cultivars that range in height from 1 to 4 feet tall and offer various flower and foliage colors. Different cultivars will also bloom at slightly different times."

Little Bunny Dwarf Fountain Grass 

If you're short on space, consider a dwarf grass, like the Little Bunny, which grows to about 20 inches tall. "Its small stature makes it easy to integrate in foundation plantings and borders and well-suited for containers combining other plants," says Mercer. "It produces cream-colored seed heads that complement any color scheme, and its bright green foliage turns golden in the fall."

Prairie Winds Desert Plains Fountain Grass

Mercer also recommends the "large, stately" Desert Plains grass, which can top out at 4 feet tall. "It develops dusty purple plumes that fade to tan in the fall. The green foliage is pretty in springtime and takes on orange-and-yellow hues in the fall," she says.

Red Head Fountain Grass

This early-blooming grass, another of Mercer's recommendations, flaunts 10-inch-long bottlebrush plumes with a red tinge, and green leaves that fade to yellow in autumn. Use this cultivar to fill a 3-foot-wide space and provide 4 feet of privacy height.

How to Grow Fountain Grass

Fountain grass can grow to reach anywhere from 18 inches to more than 3 feet tall, making it an ideal height to shade shorter flowers and vegetables in your garden that don't require direct sunlight, says Janice Parker, a landscape architect. But since it grows quickly, use it sparingly to maintain the overall look of your landscaping. "Be careful about mixing ornamental grasses with other shapes and forms of plants, because an excess of linear foliage of any kind will start to detract from a visual balance of your garden," she says.

Sunlight

Plant fountain grass in bright areas for best results. "Fountain grass needs full sun to flower well and develop a full, upright shape," says Mercer.

Soil

Fountain grass is a hardy, adaptable plant. "This grass is not particular about soil pH or soil type and can grow well in chalk, loam, and sandy soils," says Mercer.

Water

"Water this plant regularly after planting, soaking the rootball about twice a week to promote a strong root system," says Mercer. "Once established, this grass only needs supplemental watering during a long stretch of dry, hot weather." 

Fertilizer

Low-maintenance fountain grass can thrive without additional fertilizer applications, though mulching is helpful. "Pennisetum alopecuroides does not need fertilizer and can be mulched annually with organic compost to replenish nutrients in the soil," says Mercer.

How to Grow Fountain Grass From Seed

To grow fountain grass from seed, sow indoors in pots toward the end of winter, or in the ground in early spring, says Kandra. "The seeds should be covered lightly with soil and kept moist," she says. "Germination should take around two to three weeks. Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, they can be transplanted into larger pots and allowed to grow on until ready to plant out in the garden."

How to Grow Fountain Grass in Containers

To provide height to patio plantings or a line of potted privacy grasses around your porch, choose a smaller cultivar you can grow in a container. "Care requirements for container plantings of fountain grass are similar to fountain grass planted in the landscape," says Kandra. "Keep the container well-watered, and make sure it gets plenty of sun. It's best to overwinter containers of dormant perennials in a cool location protected from freezing temperatures, such as a basement or heated garage. All potting soils break down over time, and will need to be refreshed every two years."

How to Prune Fountain Grass

While you should plan to cut off dead fountain grass foliage to make room for new-season growth, this doesn't have to happen on a specific schedule. "Pennisetum alopecuroides can be cut to 3 to 6 inches above the ground in winter or early spring," says Mercer. "It is a warm-season grass and is slow to emerge in spring, giving the gardener ample time to clean it up. To prevent self-seeding, the grass can be cut back in autumn before the seeds mature."

If you leave the dried foliage intact during the winter, says Parker, it will "catch the snow and provide structure to the landscape."

How to Winterize Fountain Grass

You can expect fountain grass to survive the winter in USDA zones 5 to 9, says Mercer, without much winter preparation. "In zone 5, gardeners should plant it in a protected area and mulch the crown to insulate it from repeated freeze-thaw cycles," she says. "After particularly severe winters, a portion of the crown may die out and can be removed. This grass is evergreen in areas with mild winters."

How to Propagate Fountain Grass

If you'd like to add fountain grass to another part of your property—or share some with a neighbor—Kandra recommends propagating by division; use a sharp tool to cut the split the root ball, plant immediately, and water thoroughly. "This is best done in the spring, after the foliage has been cut back," she says. "Mature clumps will need divided every three to four years to ensure that the centers of the clumps do not die off."

Common Problems With Fountain Grass

Fountain grass is quite hardy—the plant is resistant to pests (including deer) and disease. Browning or yellowing may occur if the plant receives too much sunlight, water, or fertilizer, so be sure to heed its care requirements to keep it happy over time.

Fungal diseases, like rust (which causes blisters on the leaves) or powdery mildew (which results in a powder-like spots on leaves), can occur; prevent both by watering the soil only, avoiding the leaves (especially if your fountain grass receives some shade throughout the day).