Fountain Grass
The soft inflorescences take their name from the Latin words penna and seta meaning feather-bristle. This lovely grass is a favorite, distinguished by arching, feathery bottlebrush flowers spilling over a cascading mound of foliage.
A warm season grower, Fountain Grass welcomes hot weather and is widely distributed in both tropical and temperate areas.
Pennisetum orientale ‘Tall Tails’ full sun
Vigorous and heat-loving, and much larger than the species, this bushy Pakistani cultivar has a 3 to 4 ft. vaselike clump of green foliage, with wonderfully whitish “tails” touched by a muted pink ascending a full foot higher. Giant Fountain Grass makes a compelling ingredient in the mixed border, especially with tall Achilleas and Angelica gigas nearby.
Blooms June–October.
Size: 5′–7′ high x 3′–4′ wide; hardy to zone 6.