Pennisetum ‘Purple Fountain’

Common Name:
Purple Fountain Grass

Description:
Pennisetum ‘Purple Fountain’ is a highly ornamental grass prized for its striking foliage and graceful, arching form. This warm-season grass features deep burgundy to purple leaves that cascade elegantly, forming a fountain-like clump that adds dynamic movement and texture to garden spaces. From late spring through autumn, it produces long, feathery flower plumes in shades of purplish-pink, rising above the foliage and swaying beautifully in the breeze. In Melbourne, it thrives in full sun and performs best in well-drained soil, tolerating dry periods once established. It adds rich colour and softness to garden beds, borders, and containers, making it ideal for modern, tropical, and Mediterranean-style gardens. Though technically a perennial in warmer climates, it’s often treated as an annual in cooler zones or may die back in winter. In frost-prone areas, it can be overwintered in pots or replaced each spring.

Form:

• Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding

Mature Size:

• Height: 90–120 cm

• Width: 60–90 cm

Aspect:

• Full Sun

Flowering:

• Flowers in Summer

• Flowers in Autumn

Flower Colour:

• Purplish-pink

• Burgundy

Key Attributes:

• Suitable for Pots

• Drought Tolerant

• Fast Growing

• Architectural Foliage

• Adds Seasonal Colour

• Annual or Tender Perennial in Melbourne conditions

Toxicity:
Not known to be toxic to humans or animals.

Companion Plants:

• Salvia ‘Mystic Spires’

• Echinacea purpurea

• Gaura lindheimeri

• Verbena rigida

• Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’

Plant Growers Australia (PGA) is an innovative wholesale production nursery based in Melbourne, renowned for superior quality garden plants and pioneering breeding programs.
PGA do not sell direct to the public, but their website has detailed information on this species that is available for everyone to access. 
Visit www.pga.com.au for further details and photos of this plant.